Monday, December 12, 2011

Cat praising God?


Jubilate Agno is comical to say the least. Smart's reflection on his cat’s actions are ridiculous. Up till now poems using this type of language and referencing God has been in glorification of God or a king or other noble. This poem is about how every action his cat Jeoffry does is in honor to God. Normal, every day actions are transformed into having holy and calculated meanings, at the “first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his Way…wreathing his body seven times round with elegant quickness… leaps up to catch the musk, which is the blessing of God upon his prayer.” It’s ridiculous to compare a cats simple actions to ones of praise to God. The cat doesn’t care about any of this. This most definitely could be compared to the actions of the nobles and others who attempt to look good by going through their religious practices. That they really aren’t thinking about what they are doing, like the cat, but are just going through their day to day motions. It’s not meaningful to them; it’s just what they have always done. Just like Jeoffry, they “praise” God every day with their actions.

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