1a. How does the speaker characterize the naming of cats in line 1?
2a. According to the speaker, what three kinds of names should a cat have?
3a. Identify the characteristics of cats as described in "The Naming of Cats."
4a. Evaluate T. S. Eliot's personal feelings toward cats.
1b. What makes the naming of cats a difficult matter?
2b. What purpose is served by each of the first two kinds of names that a cat should have?
3b. What characteristics do actual cats have that might have led the speaker to suggest, humorously, each of the three kinds of names?
4b. Cats tend to evoke strong feelings in most people, who either like them a great deal or dislike them strongly. Why do you think this is so? Is there something about cats themselves that gives rise to this?
Rhyme Scheme. In this poem Eliot uses some amusing, unusual rhymes. Find examples in the poem. Are such rhymes better than rhymes of the moon/June, sun/run variety? Explain.
Alliteration and Assonance. What is the effect of alliteration and assonance in this poem? Why do you think that Eliot uses these techniques in this poem?
Meter. This poem is composed in anapestic tetrameter, with variations. An anapest is a foot made up of two weakly stressed syllables followed by one strongly stressed syllable. A tetrameter line is one with four strong stresses. Copy the first four lines of the poem and mark the weakly stressed and strongly stressed syllables. Divide the lines into feet. What variations from strict use of anapests can you find in the first four lines? Are all the lines of the poem tetrameter? The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, It isn't just one of your holiday games; You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter When I tell you, a cat must have three different names.
Personification. What human qualities are attributed to cats in this poem? What actual qualities or actions of cats might lead people to attribute such qualities to them? What is the source of the humor of the poem?
Parallelism. What does the use of "never guess" and "never confess" in the poem imply about the relationship between cats and humans?
Repetition. What is the effect of the repetitions used in lines 28–30?
1. Thinking of cats you have known or encountered, write your own set of three names for a cat, using the classification suggested in the poem.
2. Imagine that you are a pet store owner with an enormous oversupply of cats for sale. As a lover of cats, you agree with Eliot on the importance of names to cats and on the qualities of cats implied in the poem. Write an advertisement for a special sale, one to sell your excess cats to people who will truly appreciate their unique qualities and give them the treatment they deserve.
3. Eliot's poem might be seen as a tribute, of sorts, to cats and some of their idiosyncrasies. Imagine that you are a lover of some other sort of pet (dogs, snakes, mice, birds, etc.). Using an abab rhyme scheme and anapestic tetrameter meter, write your own poem about your favorite pet and some of its special qualities.
Reducing Wordiness. Rewrite the sentences below, trying to use as few words as necessary to communicate each idea.
1. Tia went to the library with the intention of trying to find a book about T. S. Eliot, who was a man who wrote poetry in verse.
2. She was particularly interested in becoming familiar with his book that he named Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.
3. Eliot's book of verse, which was intended for children, is the book on which the musical Cats was based.
4. This play, which is a musical, premiered in London in the year of 1981.
5. The musical then debuted in New York City in the following year, which was 1982, and the musical was an immediate smash hit with the public.
Researching Cats.Using library resources, research the history of the domestic cat, which begins with the ancient Egyptians, around 2500 bc. Are you able to trace the roots of the suspicion and antagonism toward cats that some people feel today?
Researching Cats:
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