Tweedles Dum and Dee, 'Through the Magnifying Glass'.

EPIGRAM

Some say, compar'd to Bononcini

That Mynheer Handel's but a Ninny

Others aver, that he to Handel

Is scarcely fit to hold a Candle

Strange all this Difference should be

'Twixt Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee!

John Byrom 1692-1763

Dearest Emily,

An epigram is a piece of short prose or text, but in verse. It is sometimes surprising or satirical. Epigrams became popularised in 16th and 17th century England, by poets such as John Donne and Alexander Pope.

Our usual suspects, the Victorian 'Artistic Aristocracy' did rather like an epigram. Tennyson was very fond of interjecting one by Hood to explain humorously in conversation, how he felt about something. We've discovered earlier how popular Hood's comic poetry was with this lot too.

The lines above are the definitive earliest reference to Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and we may assume this is where Dodgson got their names from.

Tennysons boys were born just over a year and a half apart. Dressed in an identical fashion, of lace collars and smocks, these two were not children who were 'seen and not heard' nor did their parents adhere to the Victorian didactic of sparing the rod will spoil the child. There was virtually no punishment in the Tennyson household. The boys were their consummate delight. Unusually also, they ate with adults, and joined in adult conversation, which they were encouraged to do, and a gererally permissive attitude predominated. 'The boys ran wild' was an oft used phrase in describing them, They 'danced' they sang, banged around on the piano, and generally created loud whooping havoc. They were emotional, sensitive and thoughtful. Their parents praised 'nobility, honour and kindness' and the children took this seriously, but not much else. Studies weren't a priority. They both liked the idea of fighting. Tennyson's habit of rising the public's fervour to battle in verse displeased Emily his wife, and when Fort Redoubt was built rather jarring his view across the Freshwater Bay, he was chided as being partly responsible for the paranoia requiring its necessity.

One of the only areas in which they were 'schooled' was by an inmate at the Fort, after spending time with they often arrived home late for bed at 9pm.

Hallam and Lionel loved a bow and arrow, sword play-fighting, and repetitively singing 'Of Nelson and The North'. They had fans as well as detractors, Benjamin Jowett who we have spoken of before was not used to childrens' company. However he delighted in the boys, even writing admonitory letters ( 'NEVER FEAR. NEVER CRY.' 'AVOID SWAGGERING'. )

They weren't quite so popular with Edward Lear who showed disapproval, and had made Lionel cry. Later on when they required a Tutor, the first- a sensitive soul in between studies and career proved perfect for the boys. Later applicants could not put up with their freedoms. They must have been an unusual pair of children for the age, and were generally depicted as a pair, not one distinguishable from the other 'just after the soup we heard tiny feet in the passage and two little boys with golden hair and dove coloured frocks and large white ruffles danced into the room'. There are no recorded suggestions that the boys were ever apart from each other in their early years.

Charles Dodgson, ( not yet Lewis Carroll ) appeared fairly enamoured with them, yet saying that he did not generally favour young male children. This may have been so, or it may have been that they were the prodigy of someone he dearly wished the favoured acquaintance of. In any case it is recorded that he wrote to Hallam to cut himself ( and Lionel ) with the knife he had given them for Christmas. Emily out the knife away 'until they were older'.

Significantly for me dear Em, Dodgson often appears fascinated by them. Having first photographed them in 1857, five years before we hear of the first 'Alice' story being told to the occupants of the punt at Oxford ( Alice Liddell being the most important. )

Anyway here comes Tweedledum and Tweedledee...

These 'Blood-brothers' in Through the Looking Glass' agree to have a battle. They finish each others words, complement each other, and take flight when a menacing black crow descends.

After asking Alice if she likes poetry, they deem to find the longest poem they can...

Tennysons poems can be described as mostly not short, I think you will agree, and we shall find out more about the 'Walrus and the Carpenter' another time. 

Personally, I think the fat thing was metaphorical rather than literal.

Yours as always,

GiGi xxx

main sources used in this post- 'The Poets Wife' Ann Thwaite, image of Tennyson with Hallam and Lionel by the lovely Julia Margaret Cameron. Full credits and bibliography available with manuscript