The Cat and the Moon- William Butler Yeats. Natural World

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In 'The Cat and the Moon', Yeats uses descriptions of the natural world to move from the playful triviality of nature to using images of nature to question what we can and cannot know as humans. He challenges the outward simplicity of nature by reflecting it in his poem alongside suggestions that there may be something magical within nature that cannot always be seen on the surface. Throughout the poem, Yeats has chosen to use a very playful rhythm, like one expected of a nursery rhyme; simple and songlike. This rhythm is particularly noticeable in the opening of the poem, "The cat went here and there And the moon spun round like a top." This simple rhythm reflects Yeats simplistic view of nature and the pleasure and delight he feels nature should bring to people. The fact Yeats has chosen to open his poem with a regular rhythm shows him giving a sense of regularity to the reader, as if everything is normal and not disrupted, this reflects how nature is pleasant and follows a certain course on first glance. However, Yeats then chooses to disrupt the rhythm, shown in the middle of the poem "Maybe the moon may learn". The change of rhythm here stops the reader in their path as it disrupts the natural flow of the poem. This could be reference to the sudden questioning of the moon by the cat as the moons effect on the cat seems to come to a standstill. In terms of an underlying meaning of nature, Yeats is hinting that the seemingly different aspects of nature such as a cat and the moon can be joined by something magical. Furthermore, it also incorporates aspects of arguments within nature which could lead the reader to question the link between the natural world and the human race. The structure of the poem also has similar effects to those of the rhythm. The poem is all one stanza, adding to the songlike effect. It also links in with the simple rhythm and the

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