Poetry Boffins - I am analysing the Owl and the Pussy Cat (seriously!) for an assignment, alongside a more serious poem...

[StepfordKnife]

Anyway, I need to compare and discuss how the poems represent owl....

Just a question - would you say that this bit:

O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!

Is reminiscent of an Owl's call - i.e the repetition of 'you are, you are, you are' a bit like the repetition of 'twit twoo'?

Or am I talking out of my expansive arse?

I have a feeling I may need to bump this 'minority interest' subject to keep it in active conversations

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Definitely especially the bit about talking

No, actually, I think that is very good analysis

Is it relevant that the owl is male? and dominating/interacting with the female cat?

& eating mince and slices of quince is that a reference to mice?

Thanks KatyM. Yes the mince and quince could indeed be a reference to mice

I'm not sure that the owl is dominating the female cat - since it is she who initiates the marraige;

"Pussy said to the Owl, 'You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:"

So I kind of had her wearing the trousers in this relationship?

Who'd have thought we would be discussing a nursery rhyme!

But what shall we do for a ring?"

Why doesn't she want him for lunch - or does she?

No ring - credit crunch? Wedding rings only came popular during the last half of the 1800's - is that relevant at all?

Yes the lunch bit is relevent..cat could be hunter and the owl prey in normal circumstances - I think that might be the sub text, and it is an incongrous coupling set up for the comedy value and silliness of it.

Thanks btw - it is good to have someone to run this by. Dh glazes over and says he is doing his tax return when I attempt to discuss it!

It' a favourite poem - but I like a lot of his

I sing it to the children - but with just one repeat