Literary nonsense

John Tenniel's depiction of the nonsense creatures in Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky.

Literary nonsense (or nonsense literature) is a broad categorization of literature that balances elements that make sense with some that do not, with the effect of subverting language conventions or logical reasoning.[1] Even though the most well-known form of literary nonsense is nonsense verse, the genre is present in many forms of literature.

The effect of nonsense is often caused by an excess of meaning, rather than a lack of it. Its humor is derived from its nonsensical nature, rather than wit or the "joke" of a punch line.[2]

  1. ^ Tigges, "Anatomy," p. 47.
  2. ^ Tigges, Anatomy, p. 255.