3. Introduction to the poem "Macavity: The Mystery Cat"

"Macavity: The Mystery Cat" is written by T. S. Eliot. It is taken from "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats", a collection of playful, light poems.

 

Eliot wrote the poems in the early \(1930\)s and put them in letters to his godchildren under the pseudonym "Old Possum". Later, they were compiled and published in \(1939\), with the cover illustration provided by T. S. Eliot. However, it was quickly re-released in \(1940\), with the illustrations by Nicolas Bentley. Over the years, the poems have also been published with illustrations by Edward Gorey (\(1982\)), Axel Scheffler (\(2009\)), and Rebecca Ashdown (\(2014\)), among others.
 
As the title of the book states, the poems are about "cats". The poems majorly deal with the psychology and sociology of cats. The cats are often personified, giving them characteristics unique to human beings.
 
"Macavity: The Mystery Cat" is about a cat named Macavity, who is considered the principal antagonist of the book. Several studies prove that Eliot drew the inspiration for the character from Moriarty, the main villain of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle.

 

The poem that is prescribed contains four stanzas, following the \(AABB\) rhyme scheme. However, the original poem runs longer than that. You can read the entire poem (and also the rest of the poems from the collection) here. Since the poem is intended for a younger audience, it is light and whimsical. Hence, the poem falls under the category of "light verse".
 
Several stage and digital adaptations have also been made on the poems. You may listen to the following lyrical rendition of "Macavity: the Mystery Cat" from the \(1981\) musical called "Cats". While at it, don't feel shy to sing along!