Macavity – The Mystery Cat by T.S. Eliot

Poetry Speaks

Macavity – The Mystery Cat

Macavity’s a Mystery Cat: he’s called the Hidden Paw
For he’s the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime — Macavity’s not there!

Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
He’s broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime — Macavity’s not there!

You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air —
But I tell you once and once again, Macavity’s not there!
Macavity’s a ginger cat, he’s very tall and thin;
You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.

His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed;
His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.
He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;
And when you think he’s half asleep, he’s always wide awake.

Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square —
But when a crime’s discovered, then Macavity’s not there!

He’s outwardly respectable. (They say he cheats at cards.)
And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard’s.
And when the larder’s looted, or the jewel-case is rifled,
Or when the milk is missing, or another Peke’s been stifled,

Or the greenhouse glass is broken, and the trellis past repair
Ay, there’s the wonder of the thing! Macavity’s not there!
And when the Foreign Office find a Treaty’s gone astray,
Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way,

There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair
But it’s useless to investigate, Macavity’s not there!
And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say:
‘It must have been Macavity!’ but he’s a mile away.

You’ll be sure to find him resting, or a licking of his thumbs,
Or engaged in doing complicated long division sums.
Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.

He always has an alibi, and one or two to spare:
At whatever time the deed took place, MACAVITY WASN’T THERE!
And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known,
(I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone)
Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time
Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime.

- T.S. Eliot

Explanation

Thomas Stearns Elliot in his poem “Macavity - The Mystery Cat” clearly portrays the villainous character of a mysterious cat, who is known by the name 'Hidden Paw' as he is the criminal mastermind who disregards the law. The poet says that he is an enigmatic figure to even the specialized detective agencies of the world like the Scotland Yard and the Flying Squad, meaning that he is too clever to leave any evidence of his guilt. These agencies had accepted their defeat by this clever cat and therefore he is considered as the 'bafflement of the Scotland Yard.' The Scotland Yard is completely puzzled as for when the Flying Squad reaches the scene of the crime, Macavity just isn’t there. There is never enough proof to get him caught as he is never found near the scene of the crime. Not only does he break the human law but also breaks the law of gravity as he floats in the air without any support.

He is described by the poet as a ginger cat who is both tall and thin. His eyes seem to be deeply sunken in and his head is highly domed. His brows are deeply lined as a result of continuous planning of the crimes. Macavity moves like a snake and whenever he is mistaken to be asleep, he is wide awake. The poet mentions that he is a devil in the disguise of a cat and there’s no one like him. One may meet him in a by-street or in the square but when the crime is discovered, Macavity isn’t there.

The poet has also mentioned some of his crimes, saying that Macavity is the one behind looting the larder or the jewel-case. He is also behind the breaking of the greenhouse glass and the trellis. Also when the milk goes missing or Peke’s been smothered; it is Macavity to be blamed. Whenever these offenses are discovered, Macavity is nowhere to be found. It is useless to investigate as they all know that the mastermind behind this act is undoubtedly Macavity’s. But Macavity’s a mile away from the scene of the crime; he is either relaxing or licking his thumbs or has occupied himself in solving complicated long division sums.

The final part of the poem states that there has never been a cat of such deceitfulness and tactfulness. Macavity is always ready with an alibi or two and when the crimes are discovered Macavity is not there. T.S Eliot talks about other wicked cats namely Mungojerrie and Griddlebone (refer glossary) who are nothing but agents of Macavity, whom he mentions as The Napoleon of Crime.

defy – to resist or to challenge

bafflement – total confusion

Scotland Yard – the headquarters of London Metropolitan Police Service

Flying Squad – a police force ready to plunge into action

levitation – the action of rising and floating in air

fakir – a holy person who lives on alms and has the power to levitate

ginger – alert and cautious

fiend – demon

feline – cat

depravity – evil quality

larder – cupboard for storing food

rifle – ransack to steal

Peke – a Pekingese dog

stifle – to suppress someone from acting

trellis – wooden bar used as a support for creepers

Admiralty – a Government Department that administered the British Navy

deceitfulness – cunningness

suavity – confidence and sophistication

alibi – a claim of evidence that one was elsewhere when a crime was committed

Mungojerrie and Griddlebone – fictional characters specialized in petty thefts and mischief in T.S. Eliot’s book 'Old Possom's Book of Practical Cats'

Napoleon of Crime – the commanding leader of criminals

Don't Quit by Edgar Albert Guest

Poetry Speaks Don't Quit When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest, if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, When he might have won had he stuck it out; Don't give up though the pace seems slow-- You may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than, It seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up, When he might have captured the victor's cup, And he learned too late when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out-- The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far, So stick to th

Poetry speaks

Search This Blog