Question

explain the meaning of the line 'her conscious tail her Joy declared' why is the cat's tail thought to be 'conscious' as in the poem Ode on the death of a favourite cat written by Thomas Gray ​

Answer 1

• ' ᴏᴅᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴏғ ᴀ ғᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇ ᴄᴀᴛ, ᴅʀᴏᴡɴᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴛᴜʙ ᴏғ ɢᴏʟᴅғɪsʜᴇs’ ɪs, ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪs ‘ᴇʟᴇɢʏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛʀʏ ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜʏᴀʀᴅ’ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪs ‘ᴏᴅᴇ ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴅɪsᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴘʀᴏsᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴏғ ᴇᴛᴏɴ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇɢᴇ’, ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏsᴛ ғᴀᴍᴏᴜs ᴘᴏᴇᴍ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴏᴍᴀs ɢʀᴀʏ (1716-71). ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴇᴍ ᴡᴀs ᴏᴄᴄᴀsɪᴏɴᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀʟ-ʟɪғᴇ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛ ɪɴᴠᴏʟᴠɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴛ ʙᴇʟᴏɴɢɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢʀᴀʏ’s ғʀɪᴇɴᴅ, ʜᴏʀᴀᴄᴇ ᴡᴀʟᴘᴏʟᴇ (ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ɢᴏᴛʜɪᴄ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴀᴍᴏɴɢ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜɪɴɢs). ɢʀᴀʏ’s ᴘᴏᴇᴍ ᴘᴏᴋᴇs ғᴜɴ ᴀᴛ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ sᴇɴᴛɪᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟɪᴛʏ ʙʏ ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪʙɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴛ ɪɴ ᴅᴇʟɪʙᴇʀᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴇxᴀɢɢᴇʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴇʀᴍs, ʟɪᴋᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴛ’s ᴘʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴀɢɪᴄ ғᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ᴀɴ ᴇᴘɪᴄ ʜᴇʀᴏ. ʜᴇʀᴇ’s ᴀ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴇᴍ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴ ᴀɴᴀʟʏsɪs ᴏғ ɪᴛs ғᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇs.