Question

What female heart can gold despise ?/what cat's averse to fish ?
a) What was the cat doing at the time ?
b) What figure of speech is used in the second line ? Explain it in your own words .
c) What is the ' gold ' that selima saw ? According to the poet, how is the cat like all women ?​

Answer 1

part of speech and language therapist in this aap

Answer 2

a) The cat was seeing the two fish in the vase.

b) Allusion is the figure of speech used.

c) The 'gold' refers to the goldfish.

Explanation:

• In the poem "Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Goldfishes", Gray talks about how the cat or women are deceived by gold and glitters.
• a) The cat, Selima was peeping into the vase and was watching the two goldfish that were swimming inside that.
• b) The figure of speech used is 'allusion' in the second line. Gray has written, "China’s gayest art had dyed". Allusion is referring to some art, painting or any creative work of the past. Here he has alluded to China's gayest (carefree nature) art/ painting done on the vase.
• c) The 'gold' that Selima saw is the two 'goldfish' inside the vase. Cat is like women, according to the poet because cats are attracted to the (gold coloured) fish and women are also always drawn to gold and glittery ornaments.