Macavity, the Mystery Cat (By T.S. Eliot)

Macavity, the Mystery Cat

(By T.S. Eliot) For class VII T. S. Eliot is a very famous American poet.

Stanza 1.

“Macavity’s a mystery Cat:…………not there.”

The poet describes a mysterious cat in this poem. It stands for ‘the Hidden Paw’, a symbol of crimes and cruelties, that is, Napoleon.

Here, in the poem, the cat is a mysterious figure. Even the famous detective agency like Scotland Yard and the Flying Squad (group of police officers in England) are not able to find it out. He is the master criminal who defies any law. He is the cause of the bafflement to the detective agencies like Scotland Yard and Flying Squad. He is too clever to be caught by anyone. When they reach the place of crime, the mysterious cat is not there.

Word-meanings: 1. Despair: hopelessness

Stanza 2

“Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one…………..not there.”

No one is like Macavity. He has broken every human law. He even breaks the law of gravity. He has the power to rise or float in the air. I makes even a magician stare at its flying in the air. You may search for it in the basement. You look for it in the sky. But after doing crime, it is found nowhere.

Stanza 3

“Macavity’s a ginger cat……..”

Then the poet, T.S. eliot, proceeds to describe the cat by telling us that he is brown in colour, very tall and thin in body. His eyes are sunken and eyebrows are deeply lined with thought. His head is round in shape. His coat is dusty (means its furs) are dusty and his whiskers (long stiff hair grown near the mouth) are tangled (not combed). While moving like a snake, he sways (moves) his head from side to side as if in search of some prey. He is so alert that in sleep also it is found awake.

Stanza 4

“Macavity,  Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity…….”

In the fourth satanza, the poet says that there is no one like Macavity in his devilishness. He is a fiend (फींड cruel and unpleasant) in the guise of a cat. He is a monster of wickedness. He may be seen in a by-street or  in a square (plaza, open place). But when people come to know about a crime there, he is found nowhere.

Stanza Five

“He is outwardly respectable………”

The poets tells us about his more crimes in this stanza. He says that Macavity is a hypocrite , very clever and cunning being because his outward impression is respectable. No trace of his previous criminal record is found in the files of the detective agency like Scotland Yard. Several activities of loot are usually committed , for example, disappearance of  eatables and milk from the cupboards,  jewellery thefts at the gun-point, strangulation (killing by pressing the throat) of  a small Chinese dog (Pekinese), breaking of the greenhouse glass and trellis. But it is surprising that Macavity leaves no evidences of crime behind him.

Stanza Six

“And when the Foreign…….”

In this stanza also, the poet continues describing Macavity’s crimes. When a file of Treaty from the foreign office is found missing, the Admiralty ( In the past in Britain: the naval office) lost some plans and drawings, or a scrap of paper is found in the hall or on the stair, there is use investigating the matter because Macavity would not be found responsible for those crimes. The Secret Service might say that it is done by Macavity, but that is of no use. He will be half a mile away from the place of crime and may be relaxing or licking his thumbs or may be busy in solving the complicated (difficult) sums of division.

Stanza Seven:

In the last stanza, the poet says that there had never been such a deceitful and tactful cat in the past. He is always ready to use an alibi (excuse) or more, but he is not present at time of the crime. Then the poet mentions about other cats like Mungojerrie and Griddlebone, whose wicked deeds were also known to people. But those were also the agents of Macavity who controlled their actions. He is really the Napoleon of Crime.

A.   Answer the following questions.

1.   Describe some of the crimes committed by Macavity.

Ans. It commits several crimes like stealing  of eatables and milk from the cupboards, looting jewellery at the gun-point, strangulating (killing by pressing the throat) of   small Chinese dog (Pekinese), breaking of the greenhouse glass and trellis. It is also responsible for stealing a file of Treaty from the foreign office and stealing some plans and drawings from the Admiralty.

2.   Describe Macavity in detail.

a.   Why are his eyes sunken?

Ans. His eyes are sunken and eyebrows are deeply lined in thoughts. He is always thinking deeply to commit next crime, so his eyes are sunken. It may be because of his wickedness.

b.   What do his lined brow and his high domed forehead show?

Ans. His lined brow and high domed forehead show that Macavity is always busy thinking and planning to do bad things. Is  His forehead and brows have become tense due his wickedness.

c.    Why is the coat dusty and his whiskers uncombed?

Ans. Macavity is a monster and always busy in committing crimes and run away unseen from the spot. So it has never thought of cleaning his fur coat and whiskers. It has no time to think about himself except doing evil deeds. So these are dirty and uncleaned.

3.   What gifts does Macavity have that will make even a fakir stare in wonder?

Ans. He has the power to rise or float in the air. I makes even a magician stare at its flying in the air.

4.   Can Macavity be ever accused of having committed a crime? Why not?

Ans. Macavity can never be accused of having committed a crime because he cannot be found at the place of crime. He is so clever and active to disappear from there.

5.   What alibis did Macavity have that made it impossible to catch him?

Ans. Macavity was never caught from the place of crime. So in the absence of evidence, it is impossible to catch him. This is the only alibi the poet talks about in the poem.

B.   Explain with reference to the context:

1.“He’s broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.”

Ans. This line has been taken from the poem ‘Macavity, the Mystery Cat’ written by T.S. Eliot. He tells us that Macavity is the name of cruelty itself. It has broken all human laws. It has broken the law of gravity also because it can fly and  float in the air.

2.”And when the foreign office……on the stair.”

Ans. These lines have been taken from the poem ‘Macavity, the Mystery Cat’ written by T.S. Eliot.

The poet tells us that Macavity is the name of cruelty itself. He has broken all human laws. He has committed so many crimes, but he has not been convicted for them. He is capable of stealing papers or file of treaty from any foreign office and he may also steal the plans and drawings of the naval office. Even if some scrap of paper is found in the hall or on the stair, you cannot blame Macavity for that. He is already gone from there.

3. You’ll be sure……….division sums.”

Ans. These lines have been taken from the poem ‘Macavity, the Mystery Cat’ written by T.S. Eliot. The poet tells us that Macavity is the name of cruelty itself. He has broken all human laws. He has committed so many crimes, but he has not been convicted for them.

There is use investigating the matter because Macavity would not be found responsible for those crimes. The Secret Service might say that it is done by Macavity, but that is of no use. He will be half a mile away from the place of crime and may be relaxing or licking his thumbs or may be busy in solving the complicated (difficult) sums of division.