Verses on a Cat by Percy Bysshe Shelley
A hungry cat waits for dinner while the speaker lists human needs and wishes, including a livelihood, society, variety, tranquillity, food and a wife. The cat wants only a rat, and the speaker wishes some people had such food to make them hold their tongues.
By Percy Bysshe Shelley · Genre: Satirical Poetry, Animal Poetry · 302 words
First lines
1.
A cat in distress, / Nothing more, nor less; / Good folks, I must faithfully tell ye, / As I am a sinner, / It waits for some dinner / To stuff out its own little belly.
Genres
- Satirical Poetry — The speaker contrasts varied human wants with a cat's hunger and ends by wishing food would silence some people.
- Animal Poetry — A human speaker describes a distressed cat waiting for dinner and wanting a rat.
Tags
cats · hunger · human desires · satire · humor
What this Textopian page supports
Verses on a Cat is listed on Textopian as a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Percy Bysshe Shelley
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Satirical Poetry, Animal Poetry
- Length: 302 words
- Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Verses on a Cat by Percy Bysshe Shelley
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph