Class English · Part

Unit T.S. Eliot His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed; His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed. He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake; And when you think he’s half asleep, he’s always wide awake. Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity, For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity .

You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square — But when a crime’s discovered, then Macavity’s not there! He’s outwardly respectable. (They say he cheats at cards.) And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard’s. And when the larder’s looted, or the jewel-case is rifled , Or when the milk is missing, or another Peke’s been stifled , Or the greenhouse glass is broken, and the trellis past repair Ay, there’s the wonder of the thing!

Macavity’s not there! And when the Foreign Office find a Treaty’s gone astray, Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way, There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair But it’s useless to investigate, Macavity’s not there! And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say: ‘It must have been Macavity!’ but he’s a mile away. You’ll be sure to find him resting, or a licking of his thumbs, Or engaged in doing complicated long division sums.

Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity, There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity . He always has an alibi , and one or two to spare: At whatever time the deed took place, MACAVITY WASN’T THERE! And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known, (I might mention Mungojerrie , I might mention Griddlebone ) Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime . About the Author defy – to resist or to challenge bafflement – total confusion Scotland Yard – the headquarters of London Metropolitan Police Service Flying Squad – a police force ready to plunge into action levitation – the action of rising and floating in air fakir – a holy person who lives on alms and has the power to levitate ginger – a light brownish – ­orange colour fiend – demon feline – cat depravity – evil quality larder – cupboard for storing food rifle – ransack to steal Peke – a Pekinese dog Thomas Stearns Eliot ( – ) was an essayist, a critic, a playwright and a pioneering poet of the twentieth century.

He attended Smith Academy in St. Louis and then Milton Academy in Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard University and then left for France and the Sorbonne to study philosophy. He returned to Harvard and deepened his knowledge by reading Indian philosophy and studying Sanskrit.

He also finished his advanced degree at Harvard. Some of his popular poems include ‘ The Wasteland’ , ‘ Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ , ‘ Ash Wednesday’ , ‘ Four Quartets’ , ‘ Journey of the Magi’ , ‘ After Strange Gods’ and ‘ Naming of Cats’ . He won the Order of Merit and received the Nobel Prize for Literature in the year .

stifle – to suppress someone from acting trellis – wooden bar used as a support for creepers Admiralty – a Government Department that administered the British Navy deceitfulness – cunningness suavity – confidence and sophistication alibi – a claim of evidence that one was elsewhere when a crime was committed Mungojerrie and Griddlebone – fictional characters specialised in petty thefts and mischief in T.S. Eliot’s book ‘Old Possom’s Book of Practical Cats’ Napoleon of Crime – the commanding leader of criminals A. Based on your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions in a sentence or two. i.

What is Macavity’s nickname? ii. Why is the Flying Squad frustrated? Glossary iii.

Which law does Macavity break? iv. What makes the fakir stare in wonder? v.

Describe Macavity’s appearance. vi. Where can you encounter Macavity? vii.

Why does the poet say Macavity is ‘outwardly’ respectable? vii. Who does the Secret Service suspect when a loss is reported? vii.

What is Macavity expected to be doing after committing a crime? viii. Mention any two qualities of Macavity. ix.

Which two characters does the poet refer to as examples of wicked cats? x. Why is Macavity called the ‘Napoleon of Crime’? B.

Read the poem once again and complete the summary using the words given in the box. ‘Macavity – The Mystery Cat’ is a humorous poem, where the poet T.S. Eliot describes the mysterious (a) a shrewd vile cat. He commits a crime at every possible opportunity.

He is an elusive master (b) leaves no evidence after he commits a crime. Even the Scotland Yard, the London (c) agency is unable to arrest him. The Flying Squad is (d) because every time they rush to the crime spot to seize Macavity, he is not there. He breaks the human law as well as the law of (e) .

He baffles even a (f) with his powers of levitation. Macavity appears tall and thin with (g) eyes. He is always preoccupied with some serious (h) . His coat is dusty and his (i) unkempt.

Macavity is a (j) the guise of a cat. He appears to be outwardly (k) but his actions disprove it. Macavity loots the (l) , ransacks the jewel-case, and breaks the (m) but wonder of wonders he is not to be found anywhere there. He is always a mile away from the scene of crime, happily relaxing or doing difficult (n) sums.

He is clever at making up an (o) time he plots a crime. All the notorious cats are nothing but the (p) __ Macavity, the Napoleon of Crime. larder whiskers respectable criminal devil thought sunken division agents detective alibi desperate fakir qualities gravity greenhouse C. Read the poem and answer the following in a short paragraph of to sentences each.

i. What are the mysterious ways in which Macavity acts? ii. Give an account of Macavity’s destructive mischief.

iii. Describe the appearance and qualities of Macavity. D. Read the given lines and answer the questions that follow.

i. Macavity’s a Mystery Cat: he’s called the Hidden Paw… a) Does the poet talk about a real cat? b) Why is he called the Hidden Paw? ii.

He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair: For when they reach the scene of crime — Macavity’s not there!.. a) What is ‘Scotland Yard’? b) Why does the flying squad feel disappointed? iii.

He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake; And when you think he’s half asleep, he’s always wide awake… a) Explain the comparison made here. b) What does he pretend to do? iv. For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.

a) How is the cat described in this line? b) Explain the phrase ‘monster of depravity’. v. And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard’s.

a) What seems to be a challenge for the Scotland Yard? b) Why do they need his footprints? vi. ‘ It must have been Macavity!’ but he’s a mile away.

a) What is Macavity blamed for? b) Where is he? vii. There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.

a) Which cat is being talked of here? b) How is he different from the rest? E. Explain the following lines with reference to the context.

i. His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare ii. And when you think he’s half asleep, he’s always wide awake iii. And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard’s iv.

There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair But it’s useless to investigate… v. He always has an alibi, and one or two to spare F. Eliot has used many figures of speech to present the poem to the readers in an interesting way. He has attributed human qualities to a cat in this poem.

i. Identify the literary devices used in the following lines: a. He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake. b.

They say he cheats at cards. ii. Give four instances where the poet has used alliteration in the poem. iii.

What is the rhyme scheme used in the poem? iv. Pick out all the pairs of rhyming words used in the poem. G.

Listening Activity Limericks: Poetry is of different forms and types. One among them is the Limerick. Limerick is a light, humorous verse form of five lines. The lines , and are of three feet and lines and are of two feet following the rhyme scheme aabba .

First, read the following sets of limericks with missing words. Now, listen to them being read out aloud by your teacher or played on the recorder. As you enjoy the absurd fun, complete the verse with what you hear. You may listen to them again, if required.

I A wonderful bird is the (i) His beak can hold more than his (ii) can. He can hold in his beak Enough food for a (iii) ! But I’ll be darned if I know how the Peli-can? II There once was a (iv) at the zoo Who always had something to do When it (v) him, you know, To go to and fro, He (vi) it and went fro and to.

III There once was a (vii) little bunny Who I thought was sweet and (viii) He ate all the carrots, And looked at the (ix) And that was my cute little (x) . H. Speaking Activity Work with a partner. Read the following questions and share your views with the class.

Have you heard of the phrase ‘cat’s paw’? The meaning is similar to that of ‘firing from the other’s shoulder’. ‘Cat’s paw’ refers to a person who is used unwittingly or unwillingly by another person to accomplish his own purpose. a.

This phrase originates from the fable ‘The Monkey and the Cat’. Explain how Macavity contradicts the phrase ‘cat’s paw’. b. ‘When the mouse laughs at the cat, there is a hole nearby.’ Explain the meaning of this statement to your friends.

c. Compose your own limericks on an elephant, a peacock and a butterfly. Read it out to your class. .

Parallel Reading The Microbe The Microbe is so very small You cannot make him out at all, But many sanguine people hope To see him through a microscope. His jointed tongue that lies beneath A hundred curious rows of teeth; His seven tufted tails with lots Of lovely pink and purple spots, On each of which a pattern stands, Composed of forty separate bands; His eyebrows of a tender green; All these have never yet been seen-- But Scientists, who ought to know, Assure us that they must be so.... Oh! let us never, never doubt What nobody is sure about!

Hilaire Belloc Warm Up Photographs capture memorable moments. They fill us with nostalgia. Discuss the following questions. .

What are the occasions when photographs are taken? e.g. birthday parties . Why are photographs taken?

e.g. to freeze our favourite moments Here is a story ‘With the Photographer’ where the narrator visits a studio to have his photograph taken. His experience with the professional photographer turns out to be an unforgettable one. “I want my photograph taken,” I said.

The photographer looked at me without enthusiasm. He was a drooping man in a gray suit, with the dim eye of a natural scientist. But there is no need to describe him. Everybody knows what a photographer is like.

“Sit there,” he said, “and wait.” I waited an hour. I read the Ladies Companion for , the Girls Magazine for and the Infants Journal for . I began to see that I had done an unwarrantable thing in breaking in on the privacy of this man’s scientific pursuits with a face like mine. After an hour the photographer opened the inner door.

“Come in,” he said severely. I went into the studio. “Sit down,” said the photographer. I sat down in a beam of sunlight filtered through a sheet of factory cotton hung against a frosted skylight.

The photographer rolled a machine into the middle of the room and crawled into it from behind. He was only in it a second,–just time enough for one look at me,–and then he was out again, tearing at the cotton sheet Unit Stephen Leacock and the window panes with a hooked stick, apparently frantic for light and air. Then he crawled back into the machine again and drew a little black cloth over himself. This time he was very quiet in there.

I knew that he was praying and I kept still. When the photographer came out at last, he looked very grave and shook his head. “The face is quite wrong,” he said. “I know,” I answered quietly; “I have always known it.” He sighed.

“I think,” he said, “the face would be better three-quarters full.” “I’m sure it would,” I said enthusiastically, for I was glad to find that the man had such a human side to him. “So would yours. In fact,” I continued, “how many faces one sees that are apparently hard, narrow, limited, but the minute you get them three-quarters full they get wide, large, almost boundless in–” But the photographer had ceased to listen. He came over and took my head in his hands and twisted it sideways.

I thought he meant to kiss me, and I closed my eyes. But I was wrong. He twisted my face as far as it would go and then stood looking at it. Do you know?

There are two types of photography – wet photography and dry photography. He sighed again. “I don’t like the head,” he said. Then he went back to the machine and took another look.

“Open the mouth a little,” he said. I started to do so. “Close it,” he added quickly. Then he looked again.

“The ears are bad,” he said; “droop them a little more. Thank you. Now the eyes. Roll them in under the lids.

Put the hands on the knees, please, and turn the face just a little upward. Yes, that’s better. Now just expand the lungs! So!

And hump the neck–that’s it–and just contract the waist–ha!–and twist the hip up toward the elbow–now! I still don’t quite like the face, it’s just a trifle too full, but–” I swung myself round on the stool. “Stop,” I said with emotion but, I think, with dignity. “This face is my face.

It is not yours, it is mine. I’ve lived with it for forty years and I know its faults. I know it’s out of drawing. I know it wasn’t made for me, but it’s my face, the only one I have–” I was conscious of a break in my voice but I went on–”such as it is, I’ve learned to love it.

And this is my mouth, not yours. These ears are mine, and if your machine is too narrow–” Here I started to rise from the seat. Snick! The photographer had pulled a string.

The photograph was taken. I could see the machine still staggering from the shock. “I think,” said the photographer, pursing his lips in a pleased smile, “that I caught the features just in a moment of animation .” “So!” I said bitingly,– “features, eh? You didn’t think I could animate them, I suppose?

But let me see the picture.” “Oh, there’s nothing to see yet,” he said, “I have to develop the negative first. Come back on Saturday and I’ll let you see a proof of it.” On Saturday I went back. The photographer beckoned me in. I thought he seemed quieter and graver than before.

I think, too, there was a certain pride in his manner. He unfolded the proof of a large photograph, and we both looked at it in silence. “Is it me?” I asked. “Yes,” he said quietly, “it is you,” and we went on looking at it.