That Railway Cat, A tribute to TSE Options

[jgdittier]

The Railway Cat is "Skimbleshanks",
as known to T.S.E.
No feline brat, a pure-bred manx,
the rails he'll oversee.
In poetry the cadence chose
repeats the sounds of wheels
and do agree, also of Poe's,
a careful read reveals.
I'll take that train to Gallowgate
and drink champaign with Skimble.
I'll help assort the night mail freight
"On time", the Skimble symbol.
In Gallogate I'll doff my hat
to Skimble and his bard.
So high they rate, both Tom and cat...
They're held in high regard.

[Guest_Jox_*]

Bravo Ron!

Well done - what an excellent tribute to Old Possum.

TSEliot was a Yank who became a Brit - so it seems fitting that an American should write this and a British person enjoy it first (on MM, anyway).

I'm delighted you like Old P's. Skimbleshanks has the most fun rhythm - and my fav is Macavity... but all are splendid.

Great stuff, Thank you.

James.

[jgdittier]

Dear James,
I'm now looking for the text of Macavity.
Cheers,     Ron

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Ron - but if you have Skimbleshanks you must have Macavity because they're both in Old Possum's. No?

Anyway, if not it's easily Googled...

Here's one.

Poem link

[jgdittier]

Dear James,
Macavity:

http://www.americanpoems.com/poetrs/tseliot/5530

note- 4211 lurkers
         4 responders
         
I'd enjoy a chance to write a serious paraphrase of "Macavity" but it's likely not to be in the public domaine and the U.S. swarms with contingency lawyers looking for trouble and a fast "buck" (dollar).
They couldn't get much money but I scare easily!

I'm surprized that Old Possem verse is R&R. I hadn't read Eliot because I concentrate on R&R and expected OP to be free verse.
I saw "Cats", the musical, which though ingeniously presented and containing that one unforgettable musical number, was disappointed. I was expecting too much.

Reading OP however is just the opposite. Eliot here writes in the manner I regard my favorite.
I like the repetition metered poetry offers. Thus, if I read line one, I'm ready to guess with high accuracy the way line 2 will bounce and when it does, I greatly appreciate it.
Folks who have advanced in poetry often tend to prefer ingenious rhyme schemes
like in petrarchian sonnets with separated end rhymes, abcabc.
Simple couplets to me are tight rhymes and internal rhymes add too.

If my preferences are considered light verse, I'd consider OP also light verse and now have a whole new experience awaiting me. I thought
Eliot wrote only fv and only serious poetry. Today's learning has me a month ahead!

I'll drink to Mr. Eliot!
Cheers,    jgd    Ron

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Ron,

Not quite sure I understand - you wrote a poem on Skimbleshanks - what is different about my mate Mac?

Talking about one writer feeding off another - Mac is largely based on Morriarity (Sherlock Holmes' arch enemy - Connan Doyle), TS Elion has actually used Sir Arthur's description (head highly domed) in the poem. What comes around, goes around! (I am fascinated by Holmes, too by the way - Sir Arthur Connan Doyle is burried about 25 miles from where I'm sitting).

I think Mac etc is serious poetry but with a whimiscal delivery.

Cats - never seen but I don't like musicals so I shall avoid it. (There are exceptions - Beethoven's Fidelio - his only opera - is excellent.) Lord LLoyd-Webber (Andrew LLoyd-Webber who wrote cats and many other musicals, also lives near me - about fifteen miles in the opposit direction - but I'd prefer to visit Sir Arthur's grave any day).

Now... what about a skit on "The Waste Land"???

All the best, James.

[jgdittier]

Dear James,
re Skimble I wrote verse about the poem/character. If I were to paraphrase Macavity, I'd be trying to say the same thing the Eliot poem says.
I'll read Waste Land today.
Cheers,    jgd

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Ron,

I assumed you were going to do the same as you did for Skimbleshanks.

ROFL... "I'll read Waste Land today."

That is wonderful! I've been trying to understand it since 1977 and still don't. I takes me about a week just to re-read it each time. If you want to try, I suggest that Helen Gardner (Cambridge Univ) is about his best critic - she has published about the meanings behind The Waste Land. It is the most complex poem I've ever tried to grapple with. VERY GOOD LUCK.

James.

[Guest_JohnK_*]

Just thought I'd chime in.

I'm one of those strange people - possibly unique - that doesn't like Eliot's Practical Cats poetry but regards his serious work as some of the best poetry ever written, especially The Wasteland.  I was introduced to this poem for my A levels and I've always kept a copy around ever since.

However, just to clarify, I do like this little poem.  Thanks Ron :)

One amusing fact (well, I think it is) is that Ezra Pound critted some of Eliot's poetry for him.  "Death by Water" - the shortest section in The Wasteland (about ten lines, IIRC) - was originally longer than the finished poem before Pound got his hands on it.  The only bit he left untouched was the first ten lines, so Eliot quite sensibly just dumped the rest.

A skit on the Wasteland?  Hmmm.  That would be fun.  Perhaps I'll read it again this weekend as well.

Thanks again,

John

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi,

But John ... Ezra Pound - perhaps the most barking-mad figure in literature? (John Masefield, excepted).

James.

[Guest_JohnK_*]

Hi,

But John ... Ezra Pound - perhaps the most barking-mad figure in literature? (John Masefield, excepted).

James.

Well, that's as maybe, but he gave good criticism

Some of his haiku were astonishingly beautiful also.

John

[jgdittier]

Dear All,
My match is met by me!
"The Waste Land" is close to what I envisioned of Eliot before Old Possem. Even though I'm into writing paraphrases of the bards of yore, Eliot here is beyond me.
It was a learning experience though.
Cheers,    jgd

[Guest_Jox_*]

Ron...

Don't worry! You're not alone. "The Waste Land" is famously obscure. It is very difficult indeed and I'm not there yet.

James.