Chapter & Verse

Joel Bresler seeks early uses of "Drinking Gourd" by African Americans as a name for the Big Dipper. He writes that the song...

Joel Bresler seeks early uses of "Drinking Gourd" by African Americans as a name for the Big Dipper. He writes that the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd," first published in 1928, is said to have been used by the Underground Railroad (runaway slaves were supposedly told to "follow the drinking gourd" constellation north to freedom), but he has been unable to find earlier examples in slave testimonies or elsewhere.

 

"'Twas brillig and the Swastikoves" (March-April 1997). J.M. Sykes has identified a long-sought "Jabberwocky" parody as "Grabberwochy," by Michael Barsley, printed in Poets at Play (Methuen, 1942), an anthology by Cyril Alington, then dean of Durham Cathedral. The correct opening of this anti-Nazi version runs: "'Twas Danzig, and the Swastikoves/Did heil and hittle in the reich...." A slightly different text appears at https://waxdog.com/jabberwocky/nazi.html.

 

Send inquiries and answers to "Chapter and Verse," Harvard Magazine, 7 Ware Street, Cambridge 02138.

Most popular

Harvard Faculty Approve a Cap on A Grades

Reforms to reduce grade inflation will take effect in the fall of 2027.

Harvard Alumni and Faculty Win Six Pulitzer Prizes

Winners include Jill Lepore, Bess Wohl, Pablo Torre, and Hannah Natanson.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Explore More From Current Issue

A dancer in a black leotard poses gracefully in a bright studio, with mirrors reflecting her movement.

A New Black Swan Musical Cranks Up the Tension

The creative team of the A.R.T.’s new show dish on adapting Darren Aronofsky’s thriller classic from screen to stage.

A glowing orange sun with a star and a trailing gas cloud in space.

A Harvard Astrophysicist Explains the Bizarre Behavior of a Supergiant Star

The dimming and rapid rotation of Betelgeuse may be caused by a hidden companion.

Woman with long hair, smiling, wearing a black sweater, in a textured beige background.

For This Poet, AI is a Writing Partner

Sasha Stiles trained a chatbot on her manuscripts. Now, her poems rewrite themselves.