What is this poem up to? Compose a stanza-by-stanza explication (close explanation of contents) of this poem. Pay special attention to unfolding the meaning of the final stanza and the poem's last line. What does “no pity” have to do with honoring? Do your best to read this poem clearly; do not be afraid to venture an interpretation. Write in full, correctly punctuated sentences and well-organized paragraphs, and work hard to correctly integrate quoted words and phrases into your writing. Begin this assignment by hand or on your laptop and then post your response as a comment. Make sure you comment on the right post. I will take a grade on this -- do not collaborate! Due from boys Wednesday morning, March 7 at 1:30 p.m. Due from girls Monday morning, March 12 at 7:30 a.m.
The person’s dog finds a newly dead cat in an alley, the writer says, ”he has learned nothing from dying.” I think this is saying that he could’ve learned more in life, but he died probably from either a fight with another cat or from an infection as it says, “ in a dream of infection and pain.” The poem continues, that the cat’s face is contorted almost into an evil grin.
ReplyDeleteThe next stanza describes how easily everything goes back to normal, and already the horseflies are taking him away, and other tomcats are fighting for his territory.
The last stanza is very confusing but I think it says that, those who wouldn’t give the tomcat honor, the dead tomcat has no pity for them. This is a very confusing last stanza.
The best interpretation I can think of is that this is comparing a death of a cat to a death of a person. The person dies and everyone is very sad and remembers him, but then after a while people just continue on with life, like the tomcats continuing to fight for the fence, and then the maggots destroy his body just like the horseflies destroy the cats body.
The first stanza is about a dog that finds a cat that is lying dead on the ground in a crouched up position. The dog does not know much about dying. “His paws are still flexed in a dream of infection and pain.” This explains that the cat died from some disease or infection. Then, it continues to say that the cat’s face was still like the moon.
ReplyDeleteThe second stanza is about a bunch of cats competing to take the spot where the dead cat always went because he thought it was the best spot to be. Also, the horseflies are already eating the dead body. We see from this stanza that there was little to none respect shown to this cat.
The third stanza is saying that it is not really the animals fault that they were disrespecting the cat because who would respect him. It says that everybody would treat the cat like they did: with “no pity.”
The first stanza tells us that a cat died and a dog found him with his hairs up meaning he was scared, and that is also the reason why it says his paws are clenched.
ReplyDeleteThe second stanza tells us that new cats are trying to win over the fence that used to be his place and that the flies are already eating his dead body.
The third stanza is simply says that who wouldn’t dishonor him in that way and also the writer has no pity.
My leashed dogs find him
ReplyDeleteIn a stiffened crouch,
orange back-hairs up.
Of course he’s learned nothing
from dying.
His paws are still flexed
in a dream of infection and pain;
his wide face leers like the moon
in a young girl’s window.
This first stanza describes a dead cat found by Mrs. Johnson and her dogs when she was taking them out for a walk. It is in the cliche cat-crouch, but it’s stiff because rigor mortis has set in on its dead body, yet its hairs are still standing on end. The term “curiosity killed the cat” applies to the line “Of course he’s learned nothing from dying.” Cats are stupid, and this particular cat wanted to do something and see what happens, but it died instead. And cats, or any animal for that matter, can’t learn anything after they die. His dead body makes him look like he’s in a position to attack another animal, but his face makes him look like he suffered when he died. Its wide face looks disgusting, and just as noticeable as the moon in the night sky through a young girl’s window.
Already new toms are contesting
the fence top he
thought choice.
Already the horseflies are feasting.
This second stanza is showing the other animal’s reactions. New cats are fighting for the place on the top that this dead cat occupied frequently. And horseflies are eating its dead body.
And who wouldn’t honor him
likewise:
no pity.
And why would anybody or anything treat this cat differently? It’s just a stupid dead cat. There’s no reason anybody or anything should respect or pity the stupid thing.
The first stanza tells the tale of a fallen cat that has been discovered by a dog being walked by its owner. The cat seems to have learned nothing from dying, as his hairs still stand and his paws remain flexed. The cat lays motionless in the moonlight in an everlasting dream of infection and pain.
ReplyDeleteThe second stanza tells of the disrespectful reaction to the cat’s death. New cats contest for its old stomping grounds as flies feast upon its flesh. The cat has been dead for a short period of time, but is already being forgotten by everyone. The disrespect the alley cat is treated with is truly shocking.
The third stanza somewhat explains the reaction to the cat’s death. The author asks who wouldn't treat this cat that way. There is no pity for this fallen cat. Everyone who comes across it ignores it, and why wouldn’t they do that?
Alley Cat
ReplyDeleteMy leashed dog finds him
in a stiffened crouch,
orange back-hairs up.
Of course he's learned nothing
from dying.
• The writer is walking her dog and stumbles upon a dead cat in an ally. This cat has learned nothing from its actions meaning, this cat was arrogant and didn’t take consequences into account when acting.
His paws are still flexed
in a dream of infection and pain;
his wide face leers like the moon
in a young girl's window.
• The cat was stunned In its still flexed position, the cat gives the appearance that it was inflicted with great pain and is still feeling that pain. His long emotionless face gives off a ominous glow like the moon.
Already new toms are contesting
the fence top he
thought choice.
Already the horseflies
are feasting.
• Already his comrade cats are deciding who will replace him. Who will take the position that he once held. The comrade cats are too busy trying to claim his stop that they completely disregard that he was killed. Instead they allow the horseflies to feast on his flesh.
And who wouldn't honor him
likewise:
no pity.
• Normally, the comrade cats would honor him without having to be asked. However, they get self-centered and realize they have a task for themselves in front of them, to take control of the fence. This, they feel, is more important than honoring their recently deceased leader. They show him no pity and instead let him rot.
My Interpretation
This is a very dark poem and it recalls deep feelings in your mind. Some have the power to empathies after a death. They have the innate ability to step into the other persons shoes and feel their pain with them. Some have only the power to sympathies enabling them to comfort, but not experience the others pain. The antithesis of an empathizer is someone who is apathetic and is disinterested in the death. The new tom cats are teaching how not to act. They demonstrate apathy at its height. Not only do they disregard the death of their comrade, but they leave him to rot with the flies. Animals have one distinct trait that tells them apart from the human race; the ability to feel. We mustn’t let ourselves become animalistic; rather, we should have pity and empathy for our brethren. At this day and age computers can be used for just about anything. In fact, because they are so versatile and capable of doing complex jobs far faster than humans, computers are taking our jobs. In factories all over the world, computers are substituted for jobs once held by humans. However, there is one thing a robot will never be able to do; to have emotion and feeling. Humans are diverse because we have the power to feel. Let us exploit that power rather than letting it go to waste.
As an alternative explanation for the last three lines:
For the other cats in the alley they respect the leader cat while he is alive. This is illustrated by the words, “who wouldn’t honor him.” But the deceased cat doesn’t wish to be honored he wishes for them to move on and find a new leader. He doesn’t wish to be pitied when dead. He wants the future cats to move on without him.
The first stanza is about a dog whom finds a dead cat. The cat likely died from infection. The end of the stanza talks about the cat’s face as being still as the moon.
ReplyDeleteThe second stanza tells us that the dead cat was the leader of the cats. Now all the other cats are fighting to be the leader of the cats. The end of the stanza talks about the cat’s body being eaten by flies.
The third stanza says that no one honored him. Also the speaker does not honor him.
The owner of a dog finds a cat that has just recently died. His hairs are sticking up, and he is in a very stiff position due to his death so recently. He has obviously not “learned anything from dying” because he is just a tough cat in an alley who thinks he is better than everyone else and does not respect anyone else. Therefore, he is killed by some other animals that he showed no respect for. The alley cat dies before he is able to learn the valuable lesson of respecting others.
ReplyDeleteThe death was so recent and so sudden that the cat’s “paws are still flexed.” The cat is lying there, and it is evident that before he died he was thinking about the pain and suffering that was just caused to him by the other animals. From her window, a young girl would have the sight of this dead cat peering through her window just like she has the sight of the moon peering through her window every night.
New cats are already fighting over who gets the dead cat’s previous position on the fence top. The alley cat was a haughty, supreme figure among the cats, and now that he is dead, the other cats are showing that they have moved on with their lives by filling his spot on the fence. Also, the horseflies are already feasting away at the dead cat’s carcass.
And who wouldn’t “honor” this cat the same way the other cats and horseflies are honoring him? The horseflies and cats are showing no pity to him for his death. Honestly, he deserves this type of “honoring.” All the cat was in life was a haughty, full-of-it cat who looked down on everyone and did not care about anyone except for himself. Therefore, the best way to repay him after he has died is to show him no respect, which the horseflies do by feasting on his remains, and the cats do by taking his spot on the fence.
The owner of a dog finds a cat that has just recently died. His hairs are sticking up, and he is in a very stiff position due to his death so recently. During his life, he is just a tough cat in an alley who thinks he is better than everyone and does not respect anyone else. Therefore, he is killed by some other animals that he showed no respect for. The alley cat dies before he is able to learn the valuable lesson of respecting others. Obviously, the cat “has learned nothing from dying.” You cannot teach someone or some animal a lesson by killing them. In truth, the cat could have learned to start respecting others through humane methods, but instead he never learns his lesson because the actions taken to retaliate against him result in his death.
ReplyDeleteThe death was so recent and so sudden that the cat’s “paws are still flexed.” The cat is lying there, and it is evident that before he died he was thinking about the pain and suffering that was just caused to him by the other animals. It is a gross sight that is compared to “the moon in a young girl’s window.” A young girl would have the sight of this dead cat peering through her window just like she has the sight of the moon peering through her window every night. This comparison is made because both are significantly sized objects you just cannot miss if you are looking out your window, but in this case, a young girl would see a dead cat at night along with the beautiful moon that is always there. The comparison is made to stress the grossness of the dead cat lying there.
New cats are already fighting over who gets the alley cat’s previous position on the fence top. And horseflies are already feasting away at the cat’s dead carcass. These two actions are considered honors to the dead cat. The alley cat was simply a tough-minded cat looking to make the most out of his own life by caring only for himself and not at all for others. This is the appropriate way for the other animals to honor the alley cat: with “no pity.” The alley cat had a mindset his whole life to put his own priorities first. So it makes sense that the best way for others to honor him is by putting their own priorities first, going on with their own lives, caring for their own needs, and showing no pity, just like the alley cat would have done for them.
My leashed dog finds him while we’re on a walk and he’s “in a stiffened crouch”, like he was just about to pounce, and orange hairs are all up. Even though he’s dead, it doesn’t look like he’s learned. His paws are still flexed, and his face looks like it’s in a lot of pain. Then there’s a simile that says “his wide face leers like the moon in a young girl’s window” which means that he’s got a very piercing look in his eyes.
ReplyDeleteSo soon after the orange cat died, new tom (cats) are fighting over who will get his place at the top of the fence. The cat that died was clearly an important one, because he had a prominent place on the fence. At the same quickness that the cats have turned to take his spot, horseflies have already begun to feast on his body.
This last stanza is a bit tricky. Even though we did it last year, I’m afraid I don’t remember. You are sneaky, Mrs. J! Maybe it means that the cats that wouldn’t honor him and realize how he died would face the same fate that he had and likewise would have no pity when he dies. I think the “no pity” is referring to the fact that when the alley cat died, nobody honored him and instead were just fighting over his space.
The first stanza is pretty straight-forward. A leashed-dog finds a cat in a rigor mortis crouch with it's hair up. It's dead and is unchanged mentally. His paws are flexed in excruciating pain. His untamed face is a awe-striking as the moon to a young girl.
ReplyDeleteThe second stanza talks of the after-effects of his death. New cats fight for his once almost perfect perch while the flies are beginning to use his flesh as food.
The third stanza is the finale of the sad sight. Most will honor him like the new cats or the horseflies. Either ignoring him completely or destroying him indifferently. The cat receives no pity from anyone unlike most deaths. It is simply another part of a forsaken alley that never catches the eye of the average civilian or anyone else for that matter.
In the first stanza of Alley cat the first three lines are very simple and have no hidden meaning, “my leashed dog finds him in a stiffened crouch, orange back-hairs up.” These lines are saying that an orange cat has died. However, it is after this line that everything starts to become more complicated. The poem continues, ”of course he’s learned nothing from dying.” I think this line is trying to convey that the cat wasn’t an old tomcat but younger, because an older tomcat wouldn’t have anything to learn, so the orange cat must have died young. The next two lines talk about how his paws are clenched from the pain and infection he experienced from his short but brutal life. The last two lines of the stanza compare the tomcat’s wide leering face to the moon in a young girls window. I think the writer of the poem is showing the readers that just how much pain and suffering the tom was in before it died.
ReplyDeleteIn the next stanza, it gives you and image of how almost as suddenly the tomcat died he is also just as suddenly forgotten. As new cats come to take over his property, horseflies are coming to destroy his body. It’s like the tomcat never existed.
The last paragraph finally puts this whole confusing poem into perspective. “And who wouldn’t honor him likewise, no pity.” The first time I tried to explain this line I couldn’t come up with any ideas, but the second time, I looked at it I had a little bit better idea of what it was saying. A tomcat lives alone on the streets. The life of a tomcat everyday is just survival of the fittest. It is every cat for himself; here isn’t any time for pity. The biggest honor a tomcat could get is no pity. In that kind of world giving someone pity means that they are pathetic and useless. By giving someone no pity, you acknowledge that they were survivors and strong.
My leashed dogs find him
ReplyDeleteIn a stiffened crouch,
orange back-hairs up.
Of course he’s learned nothing
from dying.
His paws are still flexed
in a dream of infection and pain;
his wide face leers like the moon
in a young girl’s window.
This first stanza describes a dead cat found by Mrs. Johnson and her dogs when she was taking them out for a walk. It is in the cliche cat-crouch, but it’s stiff because rigor mortis has set in on its dead body, yet its hairs are still standing on end. The term “curiosity killed the cat” applies to the line “Of course he’s learned nothing from dying.” Cats are stupid, and this particular cat wanted to do something and see what happens, but it died instead. And cats, or any animal for that matter, can’t learn anything after they die. His dead body makes him look like he’s in a position to attack another animal, but his face makes him look like he suffered when he died. Its wide face looks disgusting, and just as noticeable as the moon in the night sky through a young girl’s window.
Already new toms are contesting
the fence top he
thought choice.
Already the horseflies are feasting.
This second stanza is showing the other animal’s reactions. New cats are fighting for the place on the top that this dead cat occupied frequently. And horseflies are eating its dead body.
And who wouldn’t honor him
likewise:
no pity.
And who or what wouldn’t show anything but respect to this cat the same way the other animals are: without any sorrow or regret for it. If you don’t regret someone or something’s death, he/she has done all it can do in its life, and that is something to be proud of, not sorry for.
The leashed dog, who might be leading the narrator on a walk, finds the alley cat in a stiffened crouch, with the hairs on its back standing on end. This is a position of fear and attack. “Of course he’s learned nothing from dying.” Now, we know that the cat is dead. Even so, he remains in his territorial position. His paws still remain flexed in the position that he died in, also territorial. We also know that he probably died in pain from an infection. His wide face is set in a stare that reminds the narrator of the way the moon “gazes” into a young girl’s window. In other words, the stare is extremely potent, like the moon.
ReplyDeleteImmediately after his death, new alley cats are competing for the favored fence top of the dead cat. The horseflies are already feasting on the body of the alley cat. This small stanza comes to show the reader that in the world of alley cats, when a creature dies, others just come and snatch up what once was someone else’s. Even the cat’s body was taken by the horseflies.
This last stanza is by far the most important: “And who wouldn't honor him
likewise: no pity.” It says that the way to honor this dead cat is to pity his (sad) life. Those who do not honor him do not pity him. This is an incredibly sad poem. At first, we hear that the cat died. Then, we hear that its life’s legacies are totally taken away by the other creatures around it who are just looking to get ahead. Finally, the one honor that someone could give the dead cat is denied: pity. In my opinion, this totally embodies the sad and lonely life that beings have if they try to survive on their own and with no cares for the future. Once they die, the others around them loot the spoils and never look back.
The first stanza of the poem Alley Cat tells of the finding of a cat that has been killed in battle, but has learned nothing of dying. The speaker writes that his dog finds the cat in a stiffened crouch with its hairs sticking up from the moment it died. The speaker states that the cat has learned nothing from dying. The cat is still in defense mode even after being long defeated. The cat’s paws are still flexed from war and it appears to be in an uneasy state as it lay motionless in the alley. The speaker writes of the image one gets from seeing this fallen cat. The cat’s haunting face full of deadness sits still in the night, viewable from the window of a young girl.
ReplyDeleteThe second stanza of the poem tells of the reactions to the death of this cat. In the stanza, it seems as though nobody honors the cat after it has died, rather they ignore its death and quickly jump to take what it left behind. The speaker states that new cats were already fighting for the fallen cat’s old stomping ground on its once favorite fence. Additionally, horseflies began digging into the cat’s carcass almost immediately after it died. Nobody was showing the fallen cat respect, nobody was honoring it.
The third stanza explains the reactions to the cat’s death, stating that the reactions are actually justified. The speaker rhetorically asks who wouldn’t honor the cat this way. The cat learned nothing of dying, so why would anybody honor him. The cat has learned nothing from being killed; it still lays the same as it did when it was breathing its final breaths. So who wouldn’t honor the cat this way? If it learned nothing it deserves nothing. No pity.
The speaker’s dog, while on a walk, finds an alley cat in a crouched position. The cat appears anxious and ready for action with his “orange back-hairs up.” The cat had just lost one of it’s nine lives, but the cat looks like it is ready to pounce. Even though it had just ‘died’, it had “learned nothing” and is ready for another dangerous attack. His paws are flexed and is prepared to attack. Although it is still in pain from it’s last dangerous encounter, it is still hopeful that it’s next attack will prove to be more successful.
ReplyDeleteOther male cats desire the top of the fence in which the alley cat has already claimed. The cats try to challenge the alley cat, but the alley cat stays still. It is so still that the horseflies believe it is dead and begin “feasting” on it. The cat knows that the only way he can successfully attack his next victim is if he is still and plays dead.
The alley cat is finally ready to pounce on it’s next victim. All of those who “wouldn’t honor him” are at risk. They do not deserve his pity. If they do not respect him, then they should be watchful because the cat is eager to attack, and will not have mercy on any of them.
My leashed dog finds him (the alley cat) in a frozen crouch (he looks ready to pounce).
ReplyDeleteHis orange back hair is standing in end which is an expression of shock and fear.
He has learned nothing from dying.This shows us that he still seems to be exhibiting the same signs of his character that he did when he was alive.
His paws are still clenched in a dream of infection and pain, which may mean that he did not have an easy life and he was also “rough around the edges” because of it.
His eyes are glazed over like the moon reflecting of a young girl’s window. This means his eyes are wide open and glazed over. They also have mirror-like qualities.
Other tomcats are already competing for his fence spot. They couldn’t care less that he is gone; it may actually be better for them that he is not there.
The horseflies are already eating their fill of his dead body. They also don’t care that the alley cat is dead. He was nothing more to them other than what they are currently eating.
No one else would give him different treatment. They all only care about themselves and the time being.
They would treat him with no pity. He probably gave others the same treatment to get to where he did. He was a strong cat with status. It would be more honorable to him to not receive pity than to hurt his pride and stature.
The beginning of the first stanza is about the speaker and her dog finding a dead cat. The cat is described to be “in a stiffened crouch, orange back hairs up”. The speaker also describes the cat’s paws to be flexed as is he were experiencing a bad dream. The speaker’s last description of the cat is his face round, full, and large similar to a moon shining in a window.
ReplyDeleteThe second stanza begins by telling us that all the other cats are fighting for the dead cat’s position. This is important because this tells us that this was not an ordinary cat; this cat was a leader. The end of the stanza says “already the horseflies are feasting”. There are two ways to interpret these two lines. The first one is to take it literally and say that the flies were eating the cat’s dead body. The second interpretation is to understand that the cats are being compared to horseflies. The cat’s are fighting for the position directly after the cat dies, and are not paying any respect to their dead leader. They are acting so disrespectfully that they are compared to horseflies that also pay no respect to the cat.
The third stanza says that the cat was honored by the other cats trying to replace him as the leader. It seems like they have no pity, but it really is an honor to have all the other cats aspire to obtain his position.
The first paragraph is about finding an orange dead cat. The words “back-hairs up” show us that he went down fighting. This is a stray cat who met his end before his time. His paws “still flexed” are ready to fight, ready to protect his life though it is only of “infection and pain”.
ReplyDeleteAlready other cats are fighting for “the fence top he thought choice”. In his world, there is no time for mourning. One cat dies, others fight for his place without regard for the dead. The horseflies eat the flesh of his body.
Just as there is no thought as to what he did in life, likewise, nobody stops to pity him. He has no honor, but nobody is degrading him by feeling bad for him either. He went down the way he wanted, fighting for his life.
The first stanza tells of the speaker whose dog finds a dead cat whose hairs are up showing that he has been seriously frightened and his paws are flexed which also shows this. He hasn’t learned anything from dying and most animals wouldn’t learn anything either. His face is still like the moon through a girls window.
ReplyDeleteIn second stanza we learn that new cats are fighting over his spot on the fence and flies are eating his carcass. This is typical of something that would happen to a dead cat. No one is showing him the proper respect that he deserves by eating his dead body and taking the spot that was rightfully his.
In the final stanza the speaker says that why wouldn’t everyone dishonor him in this way. The cat learned nothing from dying so none of the other animals honored the cat, and the speaker has no pity on the cat either.
The first stanza is about a dog who finds a dead cat. This cat was obviously about to attack something because it was in a "stiffened crouch" with its "orange back hairs up." The cat does not look like it has learned anything from dying. It does not look like it has learned to stop being a "crazy" cat. The poem says that the cat's paws were flexed when he died. It then suggests that he died from an infection or disease. "His wide face leers like the moon" is a simile for the cat's face being very sharp and eager.
ReplyDeleteNew cats are already fighting for the spot that the dead cat liked to be the most. The cat must have had some significant status that everybody knows where his spot was and that everybody now wants his spot. Also, the flies are eating his dead body.
The idea that the last stanza is trying to convey is that the cat never really honored anyone else. It says that just like the cat did not honor anyone else, no other animals should honor him. All of this is basically said in one sentence: "And who wouldn't honor him likewise: no pity." Which animal would not give just as much honor they received. They received basically "no pity" so they will have "no pity" on the cat.
Mirel Nechama Samuels writes:
ReplyDeleteStanza 1: The poet's dog is exploring around and finds a dead alley cat crouching on the ground. "It's learned nothing from dying," and is still crouched as if ready to pounce (paws flexed ready to jump). "His wide face leers like the moon in a young girl's window."
Stanza 2: Alreadys his territory and possessions are being divided up and reclaimed. Flies are also already feeding on his carcass.
Stanza 3: And who wouldn't give him the honor (like this) of not not pitying him?
In the first stanza a dog finds a dead cat. Although the cat is dead, it is sitting completely still. Its hairs are standing up and its paws are still flexed as though it was frightened. The cat has learned nothing from dying because it has nine lives. The cat still shows an expression of pain, and it just sits there blankly just as the moon does.
ReplyDeleteIn the second stanza new cats are fighting over the fence that the dead cat once stood upon. Horseflies begin to eat the dead cat’s body.
The final stanza talks about the cat’s honor. The cats show no pity or respect for the dead cat’s body, just like the dead cat would not show respect for another cat’s body.
In the first stanza, the reader sees that a dog comes across a dead cat. The dog is being walked by its owner and it comes across this dead, fallen cat. The cat has apparently learned nothing from dying, for we see its hairs are up and paws are flexed. The cat just lays there, showing emotions of pain and infection throughout the night.
ReplyDeleteIn the second stanza, we see the reaction to the cats death by others surrounding it. There are new cats that are already trying to claim the cats territory while horseflies are eating away at its fresh flesh. The cat recently died and is already being picked at and forgotten about.
The third stanza describes the reactions to the cat's death. The author is stating, Who would treat this cat otherwise? If one treated the cat this way, no pity. Everyone who comes across the cat treats it poorly, its just a fallen cat-so why wouldn't they do so?
My leashed dog finds him
ReplyDeletein a stiffened crouch,
orange back-hairs up.
Of course he's learned nothing
from dying.
His paws are still flexed
in a dream of infection and pain;
his wide face leers like the moon
in a young girl's window.
This stanza tells the story of a dog and his owner who have stumbled across the carcass of a cat. The cat seems to have just died, and has “learned nothing from dying,” given that his fur is still standing up and his paws are flexed. The feline lies motionless with a wide face as if he is in an eternal “dream of infection and pain.”
Already new toms are contesting
the fence top he
thought choice.
Already the horseflies
are feasting.
Even though this cat has made risky decisions and thus died, new cats are already are already competing for his spot atop the fence. The cat that has died was previously the cat leader, and now that he is gone, new cats are trying to gain his position and horseflies are eating his corpse, as if he is meaningless and powerless.
And who wouldn't honor him
likewise:
no pity.
The speaker in this last stanza is questioning who would not treat the dead cat in such a degrading manner. The deceased creature is shown no pity, as he is disrespected by the other felines trying to snag his position and the flies feasting on his carcass.
An owner and his dog find a cat that just died. Due to the cat's recent death, his hairs are still sticking up and he's quite stiff. Throughout his life, he's very tough and sees himself as superior to others. Because of this false idea, he is killed by another animal that he didn't respect. Unfortunately, the cat dies before he's able to learn the very important lesson of respecting others. "Of course he's learned nothing from dying," because you can't teach someone a lesson by killing them. There were methods by which the cat could have learned this lesson, but instead he is killed and never gets the chance to learn this lesson.
ReplyDeleteThe death happened so recently that the cat's "paws are still flexed." The poet implies that while the cat was lying there about to die, he was thinking about the pain and suffering that has just been inflicted upon him. The poet stresses how disgusting it is that the cat is laying there by comparing it to the sight of the moon from a young girl's window. Just like the moon is pretty hard to miss when looking out your window, if you were walking through the street you wouldn't miss this dead cat. They're opposites, the moon is a beautiful object and the cat is a disgusting one.
Sadly, cats are already fighting who will get the alley cat's old position on the fence top, and the horseflies are already snacking on the cat's dead body. Since the cat was a tough-minded cat that only cared about himself, these acts are supposed to be honors to the dead cat, because the appropriate way to honor him is with "no pity."
His whole life, the alley cat put himself above others. Therefore, the best way for others to honor him is by putting themselves first, just as he would've done. To honor his memory they should go on with their lives (seemingly unaffected), care for their needs, and show no pity, just like the alley cat lived his whole life.
The first stanza is saying that Mrs. Johnson and her dogs were walking when they found a dead cat. The cat was still in a crouch, ready to pounce, it's hairs still sticking up. He sees himself as a mighty creature, and that hasn't changed with his death. His paws are still flexed from the suffering that came before his death. He looks at the moon, and could be seen from a young girls window.
ReplyDeleteNew cat's are already fighting for the dead cat's place on the fence. Flies are already feasting on his carcass. The cat's death has not made a big impact on any of the animals.
The cat's seem to 'honor' him by ignoring him. Just like he lived life thinking he was the greatest and ignoring them, they act like they should be on top and they ignore him. The ones that don't honor him don't look up to him in any way. They are indifferent to him. They don't honor him and they don't pity his death.