Old Possum’s Poetics
Old Possum’s Poetics

Summary/Abstract: T.S. Eliot’s collection of poems entitled Old Possum’s Book of Cats has been described as whimsical, delightful, light and playful. First published in 1939, the poems where originally written for Eliot’s godchildren and never intended to be considered as serious work. Yet fifty years after Eliot’s death, his Book of Cats has been transformed into a hit musical appreciated by all ages and all nationalities, while his more erudite work such as The Waste Land and Four Quartets is esteemed and comprehended by a much smaller group.This short paper proposes to study the evolution of the importance of The Book of Cats.Eliot’s personifications of cats are not only fanciful and charming; they are also far-sightedand very representative of his own poetics.

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