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.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover--
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
I really like this poem it makes you think of cats and what they think. The game that we played was awesome i think that 45 sec is like a world record.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is awesome. I loved reading it super fast in class. The poem portrayed the feelings of cats through their given name. It gave clear examples of cat names and their symbolic meaning to humans.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this poem because of its use of repetition(Of the thought, of the thought, of the though") and its alliteration("ineffable effable/ effanineffable"). I did not enjoy some poems I have read earlier of T.S. Eliot, but this poem I do like because it is fun and playful. It takes a simple measure like naming a cat and gives it a playful tone while emphasizing individuality.
ReplyDeleteThis poem was very funny! I love how different writers can take the most random subject but they can still get your mind thinking. I do agree with 'nighthawk41' the game we played was hysterical! Ryan did a great job with 54 seconds.... but shoot Sydney did amazing!
ReplyDeleteI really like the poem! Although I hate cats, I think its cool that the poem is trying to look at the deeper meanings of names. Names are so common that sometimes we dont stop to think about what they really mean and this poem takes us inside the cats mind!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! This was so funny today! The poem itself is just really random, which makes it funny, but Sydney's reading of it was hilarious. I acutally like T.S. Eliot's poetry. Even though it is always really weird, its interesting and takes the reader for a ride. Very fun.
ReplyDeletePersonally I was not a big fan of this poem at all. It might have to do with my overwhelming dislike of cats in general, but who knows. The only thing that appealed to me was when Mr. Hill read this poem like a Dr. Seuss book. Why do you need to name a cat three times especially when the thing is going to ignore you no matter what you call it. Besides the cat won't care if you call it Fred or Munkustrap.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this poem because it had a good 'beat' to it. I was even better when Mr. Hill recited it in a Dr. Suess voice. A good line is "THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS" because it shows that T.S. Eliot has a good imagination. I also agree with Erin in that I dislike cats. I believe dogs are better and have better uses then lazy cats. The names Eliot uses that are supposedly the names of cats is also funny:"Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter."
ReplyDeleteThis poem is crazy, especially when people try to recite it as fast as they can. I feel like this poem could be in a Dr. Seuss book because of the rhyming and upbeat lines. I love how this author just goes on and on about the naming of cats. It takes a skilled poet to be able to write a long poem about naming cats. I also like the vocab word this poet used (ineffable).
ReplyDeleteThis poem was a really fun read. I enjoyed the class competition to see who could read it the fastest, Sydney did surprise us. I don't really get the poem. A cat has a name no one else knows? It's a neat concept, but I don't grasp it.
ReplyDelete