Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse [Hardcover]

Henry Beard (Author), Gary Zamchick (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 1994

In the vein of his bestselling French for Cats, Henry Beard has assembled a brilliant anthology of treasured works by feline poets. Includes "Do Not Go Gentle to That Damned Vet" by Dylan Thomas's cat, "The Human" by Edgar Allan Poe's cat and other works. Poetry for Cats will prove as thrilling as a stiff shot of catnip. Color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Even if you don't like cats--or poetry--you'll be tickled by the contents of Henry Beard's Poetry for Cats. Beard has already demonstrated his command of French in previous books, French for Cats and Advanced French for Exceptional Cats. Now he shows off his extraordinary skills as a parodist. Consider, for example, "Grendel's Dog," from "Beocat":

. . . Then boasted Beocat, noble battle-kitten,

Bane of barrow-bunnies, bold seeker of nest-booty:

. . . I would lay the whelpling low with lethal claw-blows;

Fur would fly and the foe would taste death-food . . .

Or, from a later period, William Blake's cat's poem, "The Mongrel":

Mongrel! Mongrel! Barking blight,

Bane upon my yard at night;

What infernal hand or eye,

Could frame thy vile anatomy?

Beard is obviously at home with poetry of many genres, from ancient odes to modern blank verse. These poems are fun even if you don't know the original sources; if you do, they are sublime.

From the Inside Flap

In the vein of his bestselling French for Cats, Henry Beard has assembled a brilliant anthology of treasured works by feline poets. Includes "Do Not Go Gentle to That Damned Vet" by Dylan Thomas's cat, "The Human" by Edgar Allan Poe's cat and other works. Poetry for Cats will prove as thrilling as a stiff shot of catnip. Color illustrations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 87 pages
• Publisher: Villard; First Edition edition (October 25, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679435824
• ISBN-13: 978-0679435822
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #562,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant!, July 14, 2003

By 

Morpho menelaus (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse (Hardcover)

Henry Beard has both a good knowledge of the original poems and of cats. His spoofs are tremendously clever, and he chooses the most common poems in English literature, so most people will recognize them. I laughed myself nearly sick. It's as good as jogging! ;-)

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever and Inspired, May 14, 2003

By 

Miss Jane "book girl" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse (Hardcover)

This book is funny in and of itself; however, if you are familiar with the poems on which these are based, you're in for a special treat. Beard doesn't just substitute words: his premise is that the poets' cats wrote these poems, which makes "She Walks In Booties" or "Abyssinias" even more feline, er, sublime...

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A furball is a furball is a furball, May 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse (Hardcover)

In undergraduate school one of my English professors used to photocopy good poetry parodies for us. When she photocopied Henry Beard's "The End of the Raven," I was smitten for life. This is a wonderful little book. Beard keeps the original meter and rhyming scheme of the poems parodied and it is priceless to compare the two side by side. A gem of a book for anyone who appreciates keen wit and a masterful command of the English language. After all, who could possibly not fall in love with someone who declares, "Do not go gentle to that damn vet/ Hide, hide when your appointment date is set" ?