Title:
· 1st Impression- A poem describing the proper way to name cats.
· After reading- A poem about the complexity of cats and how the way a cat is to themselves is different than how they are to everyone else.
Paraphrase:
Naming cats is a hard thing to do,
it’s not just a game.
At first you may think I’m crazy
When I say that a cat must have three different names
First, there’s the name that his family calls him,
Like Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Like victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--
These are all reasonable names.
There are names that sound fancier,
Either for boys or girls:
Like Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
These are all reasonable names.
But a cat needs a stranger name,
A name that’s stranger and prouder,
So he can keep his tail straight,
And spread his whiskers and be proud.
I can tell you many of these names
Like Munkustrap, Quaxo or Coricopat,
Like Bombalurina or Jellylorum-
Unique names for only one cat.
But still above this there’s one more name,
A name you could never guess.
A name nobody could ever discover.
Only the cat himself knows and wouldn’t confess.
when you notice a cat in deep thought,
it is always for the same reason,
He is caught up in contemplating
The thought, the thought, the thought of his name
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Mysterious and unique Name.
Connotation:
· Allusion: line 3- “mad as a hatter”, reference to Alice in Wonderland
· Repetition: lines 8 and 12- “all of them sensible everyday names”
Line 28- “of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name”
· Personification: line 16- “cherish his pride”
· Anapestic Tetrameter: There are four metrical feet per line consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.
Attitude: Whimsical
TS Eliot uses personification to create a whimsical tone in the description of the idea behind a cat's multiple names. Although the poem is lighthearted and funny, there is a much more serious concept of identity hidden behind it.
Shift: Line 21- “But above and beyond there’s still one name left over”
Eliot shifts from the lighthearted and silly presentation of names of cats to show how someone's identity is different to themselves.
Theme: The theme of this poem is identity and it suggests that the way people present themselves to the general public is different than the way they present themselves to their family and friends. It also shows that the most unique and private form of someone is only known to themselves.
· 1st Impression- A poem describing the proper way to name cats.
· After reading- A poem about the complexity of cats and how the way a cat is to themselves is different than how they are to everyone else.
Paraphrase:
Naming cats is a hard thing to do,
it’s not just a game.
At first you may think I’m crazy
When I say that a cat must have three different names
First, there’s the name that his family calls him,
Like Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Like victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--
These are all reasonable names.
There are names that sound fancier,
Either for boys or girls:
Like Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
These are all reasonable names.
But a cat needs a stranger name,
A name that’s stranger and prouder,
So he can keep his tail straight,
And spread his whiskers and be proud.
I can tell you many of these names
Like Munkustrap, Quaxo or Coricopat,
Like Bombalurina or Jellylorum-
Unique names for only one cat.
But still above this there’s one more name,
A name you could never guess.
A name nobody could ever discover.
Only the cat himself knows and wouldn’t confess.
when you notice a cat in deep thought,
it is always for the same reason,
He is caught up in contemplating
The thought, the thought, the thought of his name
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Mysterious and unique Name.
Connotation:
· Allusion: line 3- “mad as a hatter”, reference to Alice in Wonderland
· Repetition: lines 8 and 12- “all of them sensible everyday names”
Line 28- “of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name”
· Personification: line 16- “cherish his pride”
· Anapestic Tetrameter: There are four metrical feet per line consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.
Attitude: Whimsical
TS Eliot uses personification to create a whimsical tone in the description of the idea behind a cat's multiple names. Although the poem is lighthearted and funny, there is a much more serious concept of identity hidden behind it.
Shift: Line 21- “But above and beyond there’s still one name left over”
Eliot shifts from the lighthearted and silly presentation of names of cats to show how someone's identity is different to themselves.
Theme: The theme of this poem is identity and it suggests that the way people present themselves to the general public is different than the way they present themselves to their family and friends. It also shows that the most unique and private form of someone is only known to themselves.