World Poetry Day
Friday, 22 March 2024 08:40
World Poetry Day, instigated in 1999 by UNESCO, falls on Thursday, March 21. Many poets were and are cat lovers, and many wrote specific poems about or for their cats. Why not honour the day by reading some poetry to your own cat?
There is a lot to choose from, the most obvious being Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. The very first poem The Naming of Cats. is a winner.
Copyright reasons mean that I cannot quote it on here, but of course you can read it freely to your felines. If you dislike reading aloud, let them listen to TS Eliot himself reading it here on Clowder Movies channel
One of our favourite cat poems, which also happened to be in the public domain, so I can quote it, is “ For I will Consider My Cat Jeoffry. “ It was written by Christopher Smart in 1763 and is a love song to Smart’s cat, an affectionate listing of all Jeoffry’s daily activities. It is very long, so here are a few lines to give you a taste. This is Jeoffry getting up in the morning.
For first he looks upon his forepaws to see if they are clean.
For secondly he kicks up behind to clear away there.
For thirdly he works it upon stretch with the forepaws extended.
For fourthly he sharpens his paws by wood.
For fifthly he washes himself.
For sixthly he rolls upon wash.
For seventhly he fleas himself, that he may not be interrupted upon the beat.
For eighthly he rubs himself against a post.
For ninthly he looks up for his instructions.
For tenthly he goes in quest of food.
Jeoffry was obviously a very fine cat.
For more about cats in literature, take a look at Literary Cats, a title in the Creative Cats series
Buy Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot here
Buy For I will Consider My Cat Jeoffry here