Gujarat Board GSEB Class 8 English Textbook Solutions Honeydew Poem 3 Macavity: The Mystery Cat Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers, Notes Pdf.
Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Poem 3 Macavity: The Mystery Cat
GSEB Class 8 English Macavity: The Mystery Cat Text Book Questions and Answers
Working With The Poem
Question 1.
Read the first stanza and think:
(i) Is Macavity a cat really ?
Answer:
No, Macavity is not a cat really.
(ii) If not, who can Macavity be ?
Answer:
Macavity is just a fictional character created by the poet whose actions resemble those of a crook’s.
Question 2.
Complete the following sentences:
(i) A master criminal is one who ……………….. .
(ii) The Scotland Yard is baffled because …………….. .
(iii) ……………… because Macavity moves much faster than them.
Answer:
(i) A master criminal is one who can defy the law.
(ii) The Scotland Yard is baffled because whenever they reach the scene of crime, they cannot find Macavity.
(iii) Nobody can catch Macavity at the scene of crime because Macavity moves much faster than them.
Question 3.
“A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through.” (Jules Verne)
Which law is Macavity breaking in the light of the comment above ?
Answer:
In the light of the above comment, Macavity is breaking the law of gravity
Question 4.
Read stanza 3, and then, describe Macavity in two or three sentences of your own.
Answer:
Macavity is a ginger cat who is very tall and thin with sunken eyes and brow deeply lined with thought. While its head is highly domed, its coat is dusty and whiskers are uncombed. It sways its head from side-to- side and it is always wide awake even when one thinks that it is half-asleep.
Question 5.
Say ‘False’ or ‘True’ for each of the following statements :
1. Macavity is not an ordinary cat.
2. Macavity cannot do what a fakir can easily do.
3. Macavity has supernatural powers.
4. Macavity is well-dressed, smart and bright.
5. Macavity is a spy, a trickster and a criminal, all rolled in one.
Answer:
1. True
2. False
3. True
4. False
5. True
Question 6.
Having read the poem, try to guess whether the poet is fond of cats. If so, why does he call Macavity a fiend and monster ?
Answer:
Yes, it seems like the poet is fond of cats. He calls Macavity a ‘fiend’ and a ‘monster’ because he might have wanted to portray an evil side. He might have used a cat in order to create a negative character who is a criminal and escapes easily from police. The quick movements
Question 7.
Has the poet used exaggeration for special effect? Find a few examples of it and read those lines aloud.
Answer:
Yes, the poet has used exaggerations such as the cat’s defiance of gravity and it being called a ‘monster of depravity’ and a ‘fiend’ in order to enhance the mystery surrounding the cat. Since the cat is shown to be super-fast as nobody from the Scotland Yard to the Flying Squad can catch it on the scene of crime, these exaggerations have been used by Eliot to lay stress on this monstrous s as well as surprising and mysterious nature of Macavity.
Examples:
(i) ‘He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair’.
(ii) ‘He breaks the law of gravity’.
(iii) ‘His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare’.
(iv) ‘He’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity’.
GSEB Class 8 English Macavity: The Mystery Cat Additional Important Questions and Answers
Select the most appropriate options as answers and complete the following sentences:
Question 1.
Macavity, also called the ‘Mystery Cat’, goes by a more unusual name. Who is this master criminal that has inspired a poem?
A. ‘Mungojerrie’
B. ‘Hooded Claw’
C. ‘Griddlebone’
D. ‘Hidden Paw’
Answer:
D. ‘Hidden Paw’
Question 2.
Macavity leaves Scotland Yard In bafflement, but who does he leave In despair?
A. Special Branch ,
B. The Serious Fraud Squad
C. The Flying Squad
D. The Serious Crimes Unit
Answer:
C. The Flying Squad
Question 3.
“He’s broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity. His powers of levitation would make a ……………… stare.” What person wovdd Macavity make stare at his powers ?
A. Magician
B. Lama
C. Politician
D. Fakir
Answer:
D. Fakir
Question 4.
In the poem Macavity is described. What kind of cat is he?
A. A Ginger Cat
B. A Tabby Cat
C. A Tortoiseshell (Calico)
D. A Manx Tom
Answer:
A. A Ginger Cat
Question 5.
“He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a ………….. .” What does he move like?
A. swing
B. tail
C. kite
D. snake
Answer:
D. snake
Question 6.
When a crime has been discovered where is Macavity ?
A. He’s in the crowd.
B. He’s in the shadows.
C. He’s not there.
D. He’s on the roof.
Answer:
C. He’s not there.
Question 7.
Who loses some plans and drawings in the poem, blaming Macavity for their loss ?
A. The War Office
B. The Foreign Office
C. The Home Office
D. The Admiralty
Answer:
D. The Admiralty
Question 8.
When the authorities go to find him he is either ‘resting, or a-licking of his thumbs,’ jor some unusual activity. Which activity does the ‘Mystery Cat’ engage in?
A. ‘Planning a dinner party’.
B. ‘Doing complicated long division sums’.
C. ‘Planning a daring caper’.
D. ‘Fluffing his tail’.
Answer:
B. ‘Doing complicated long division sums’.
Question 9.
Who always states that when a Treaty, or some plains and drawings, have gone missing that it was Macavity who is to s blame ?
A. The Home Office
B. The Special Branch
C. The Secret Service
D. The Flying Squad
Answer:
C. The Secret Service
Answer the following questions in two to three sentences each:
Question 1.
How does the poet describe Macavity and his pranks?
Answer:
Macavity was a male cat. He was a clever criminal. He had no fear of law or the police. He escaped from the scene of crime before the police arrived there. He was tall and thin. He was careless about his clothes and whiskers. He moved like a snake and pretended to be asleep. He was, in fact, a devil in the shape of a cat. He was wicked and morally corrupt.
Question 2.
How does the poet support his statement “There is no one like Macavity”?
Answer:
The poet calls Macavity a master criminal. He could make a good escape before the police came to the scene of crime. He befooled the detectives and the Flying Squad. He was an outlaw. He was a master in his field. He was matchless, a devil in the shape of a cat.
Question 3.
Who does Macavity fool and confuse ?
Answer:
Macavity is a “master criminal” who even challenges the law. He deceives even the famous investigating agencies like Scotland Yard and the Flying Squad.
Question 4.
What is the most remarkable thing about Macavity ?
Answer:
Macavity has “broken every human . law”. He even possesses several supernatural powers such as levitation which makes a person rise in the air. He is such an expert that when the police reach the scene of crime “Macavity’s not there !”
Question 5.
What is the connection between ‘Fakir, and ‘Power of Levitation*?
Answer:
The Fakirs are ascetics who live on alms. They possess supernatural powers and perform miracles. The poet says that Macavity can outshine a fakir in his power of levitation. The way he rises and hovers in the air and escapes from the scene of crime is beyond one’s imagination.
Read the following stanzas and answer the questions given below them:
Question 1.
Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
He’s broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime
– Macavity’s not there !
You may seek him in the basement,
you may look up in the air – But I tell you once and once again,
Macavity’s not there !
Questions:
(1) How unlawfully does Macavity act ?
Answer:
Macavity disobeys all human laws and also the law of gravity.
(2) What is said about Macavity’s powers of levitation?
Answer:
Macavity’s levitation is so powerful that it causes a fakir to stare bewildered.
(3) Where is Macavity not found ?
Answer:
When the investigators reach the scene of crime, Macavity is not there. The poet says that we may search him in the basement or we may look up in the air but Macavity is not there.
Question 2.
Macavity’s a ginger cat, he’s very tall and thin;
You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.
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.
Questions:
(1) What metaphor is used for Macavity ?
Answer:
Macavity is called a ginger cat here.
(2) Describe the appearance of Macavity.
Answer:
Macavity’s eyes are deeply sunken in. This cat has lines on his forehead steeped with thoughts; he has a head that is highly domed while his coat is untidy and his whiskers are uncombed.
(3) What is deceitful about Macavity ?
Answer:
When we think that Macavity is half asleep, he is always wide awake.
Question 3.
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 !
Questions:
(1) Why does the poet say ’there is no one like Macavity’?
Answer:
The poet says ‘there is no one like Macavity’ as he is a devil in disguise of a cat; he is a monster of wickedness.
(2) Which adjectives are used for Macavity? What do they suggest?
Answer:
The adjectives used for Macavity are : devil in the shape of a cat and monster of moral corruption.
(3) How smart is Macavity in avoiding arrest after committing a crime?
Answer:
Macavity is very smart in avoiding arrest after committing a crime. One may meet him in a by-street or in the square but when the crime is discovered, Macavity is not there.
Macavity: The Mystery Cat Summary in English
Macavity: The Mystery Cat Summary:
Thomas Stearns Eliot describes a mysterious cat of extremely villainous nature in his poem, “Macavity: The Mystery Cat.” This cat is known by the name ‘Hidden Paw’ as he is the criminal mastermind who disregards law. He is an enigmatic figure to even the specialized detective agencies of the world like the Scotland Yard and the Flying Squad. These agencies had accepted their defeat by this clever cat and therefore he is considered as the ‘bafflement’ of the Scotland Yard.
‘For when they reach the scene of crime- Macavity’s not there.’ Macavity is too clever to be caught and he is nowhere near the crime spot. The poet says that Macavity disobeys all human laws and also the law of gravity. His levitation is so powerful that it causes a fakir to stare bewildered. But when you reach the crime spot, Macavity is not there. The poet says that we may search him in the basement or we may look up in the air but Macavity is not there.
T. S. Eliot describes Macavity as a ginger cat who is both tall and thin. He can be recognized from his eyes which are deeply sunken in. This cat has lines on his forehead steeped with thoughts; he has a head that is highly domed while his coat is untidy and his whiskers uncombed. Macavity moves like a snake and whenever he is mistaken to be asleep, he is wide awake.
The poet says there is no one like Macavity. He is a devil in disguise of a cat; he is a monster of wickedness. One may meet him in a by-street or in the square but when the crime is discovered, Macavity is not there.
The final stanza of the poem states that there has never been a cat of such deceitfulness and tactfulness. Macavity is always ready with an alibi or two and when the crimes are discovered Macavity is not there. T. S. Eliot talks about other wicked cats namely Mungojerrie and Griddlebone who are nothing but agents of Macavity.