A Cat's Song Commentary

It is often said A dog is a man's best friend. However, the poem A Cat's Song by Marge Piercy
provides readers with a different human-animal relationship. The poem explores the relationship
between a human and cat. Through the use of imagery and diction Piercy is able to reveal the sense
of superiority the cat has in the relationship.
In the first stanza there is a constant repetition of mine and my. The cat believes that the human
belongs to it and that the human is both affectionate and controlled by the cat. The titles the cat
gives the human such as slave and toy degrading the human into someone compliant and
someone who belongs to the cat, highlighting the cat's dominant and possessive personality. This is
ironic because the cat is owned by the human and also because of the cat's body-language. The poet
shows the cat's actions as imitating a baby when he makes the gesture of drawing milk. The
actions portray the cat as docile rather than the human.
As the poem progresses the reader can see that the cat believes he is superior, and that he must boast
whenever necessary in an attempt to establish his dominance. Evidence for this can be found in the
second stanza when he says I'll teach you several hunting techniques in order to show the owner
how much knowledge the cat has. Furthermore, the gesture of lay(ing) this plump warm mouse on
your mat, gives the cat the sense he is able to provide for the human and that he is reciprocating
the human's nurturing support. Thus, the cat offers to teach the human how to hunt and gives
him/her a mouse because the cat feels like it has to try to feed the owner. This would give the
impression of the human having more power because he/she feeds the cat, whereas the cat tries to
feed the human.
Throughout the poem, the cat addresses the reader with a haughty tone. The cat states I am more
equal than you blatantly revealing how the cat believes it is better than the human. The cat
continues on the justify his belief by asking rhetorical questions such as, can you leap twenty times
the height of your boy? and can you run up and down trees? The reader is able to visualise an
active cat who is physically strong and also able to hunt. The personification of the cat creates the
image that he is able to do the same things as humans or is better at doing them.
The use of imagery to describe the cat allows the reader to visualise it as emotionally and physically
powerful. The cat's alertness and physical capabilities are highlighted throughout the poem. The cat
is eager to teach the human how to hunt, and dance. This gives the impression that the cat is the
physically stronger one in the relationship. Furthermore, when the cat walks around the human in
the morning it shows his vigilance, as if he were protecting the human. The emotional strength is
shown through the simile, my emotions are pure as salt crystals and as hard. This portrays the cat
as someone who is bitter like salt and tough like the crystals. In the fifth stanza the poet reveals the
cat's emotional complexities. Greed is represented through the cat's paws, fear with (my)
whiskers, envy through its tail and love speaks to him throughout the fur. This shows the reader
how the cat communicates with the human Moreover, we can see since the fur covers the greatest
area, the cat feels love the most. Thus, although the cat sees the human as inferior, the reader is able
to infer that the cat is protective and affectionate towards the human.
In conclusion, the poem The Cat's Song provides readers insight into a human-animal relationship
from the cat's perspective. The direct address to the readers by the cat further humanizes him. The
cat's actions show that he is physically and emotionally strong, even though he depends on the
human for food. The cat's self-centred attitude is also revealed through rhetorical questions and his
register. He believes the human is not as capable as him, but he continues to show his devotion
through his willingness to teach the human skills, his gift and his diligence.