Story: A tiger cat that once roamed free,
He claimed the world that he could see
From high atop the tallest trees
Or on the roof tops in the breeze,
Where he’d look down on other males
And spy plump mice and lizard tails
To bring back home as gifts for me,
His own special delivery.
His once bright stripes of marmalade
Have softened and begun to fade,
But he does not know he is old,
His eyes still sparkle orange-gold
To chase the shadows down the hall
And flecks of light across the wall,
To stand his ground and claim his place
With younger cats that share his space.
His realm is now inside my house,
His fiercest prey a catnip mouse,
But he can leap and climb up still
Although just to the window sill
To sit and watch the birds fly by
And catch them now in his mind’s eye,
Then curl right up onto my lap
Or in his basket for a nap
To dream again of hunting days,
Of alley fights and tomcat ways
Use the poem Giles at 14 to complete the activity.
Giles at 14
In one to two sentences, analyze how the poet’s word choice shows the speaker’s feelings about Giles the cat.
(2 points)