i need help with poem i not understand the last stanza and why it be so important. it also says by giving examples from poem, tell how poet tells the necessary qualities of all members of cat family. do his outlook also apply to humans?
it tells by describing them softmannered, musical in purr, fur being soft, silky and well-groomed. i not get if his outlook apply on human also.
E.J. Pratt
The Prize Cat
Pure blood domestic, guaranteed,
Soft-mannered, musical in purr,
The ribbon had declared the breed,
Gentility was in the fur
Such feline culture in the gads
No anger ever arched her back--
What distance since those velvet pads
Departed from the leopard's track!
And when I mused how Time had thinned
The jungle strains within the cells,
How human hands had disciplined
Thoes prowling optic parallels;
I saw the generations pass
Along the reflex of a spring,
A bird had rustled in the grass,
The tab had caught it on the wing:
Behind the leap so furtive-wild
Was such ignition in the gleam,
I thought an Abyssinian child
Had cried out in the whitethroat's scream.
In the last stanza, the poet imagines that some time in the distant past a child in Africa (Abysinnia/Ethiopia) has been killed by an ancient cat.
Just as man has evolved, so have cats evolved from large predators to the gentle house cats of today.
thank you very much ms. sue :)
You're very welcome, Mohammad.
To understand the last stanza of the poem and its importance, we can begin by exploring the poet's description of the cat in the previous stanzas. The poet portrays the prize cat as a domesticated and refined creature, possessing qualities such as being soft-mannered and musical in purr. The mention of the ribbon declaring the breed adds to the notion of gentility being inherent in the cat's fur.
In the third stanza, the poet reflects on the evolutionary journey of domestic cats. They recognize how time has diluted the wild traits found in their ancestors. Human hands have played a role in shaping and disciplining these once-prowling animals. This reflection underscores the transformation of the domestic cat from its wild origins to its current civilized state.
The final stanza provides a specific example that highlights the cat's innate instincts. The poet observes a moment where the cat swiftly leaps and catches a bird on the wing. The leap is described as "furtive-wild," suggesting a hidden intensity and a remnant of the cat's wild nature. The poet compares this leap to the cry of an Abyssinian child in the whitethroat's scream. This line emphasizes the poet's belief that even in the domesticated cat, there remains a primal element, a connection to its ancient lineage.
Now to address the question of whether the poet's outlook also applies to humans. The poem focuses on the qualities and evolution of the cat family. While the poet does not explicitly extend the comparison to humans, it is possible to interpret the underlying message.
The poet's mention of how human influence has shaped the cat suggests the power of civilization and domestication to change a species. This idea can also be applied to humans, as civilization and societal norms have brought about significant changes in human behavior and traits over time. Furthermore, the reference to the Abyssinian child in the final stanza suggests that there may be primal urges and instincts buried within humans as well.
However, it is important to note that the poet primarily focuses on the cat family and its transformation, and any application of the poet's outlook to humans would be speculative. Overall, the poem invites readers to contemplate the transformative power of domestication while subtly alluding to potential connections between animals and humans.