A Visit to William Blake's Inn Chapter Summary & Analysis - Poem 13, "The King of Cats Sends a Postcard to His Wife" Summary

Poem 13, "The King of Cats Sends a Postcard to His Wife" Summary

This is a poem in ballad form with the rhyme scheme AABB throughout. The rhymes are simple and natural. In the first stanza, the King of Cats begins like a traditional husband, telling the wife things she'd better do or not do. Line one tells her to keep her whiskers clean and crisp. Line two tells her to make sure that the mice remain fat, presumably so the King of Cats can have some to eat, when he gets home. Lines three and four enjoin her not to get fat like some common kitchen cat, also presumably a concern of the traditional husband, who wants to ensure he's got a good-looking wife.

Stanza two asks after tasks the wife should do. Line one asks if she has set the kittens free; in other words, are the babies weaned and set off on their own? Line two seems a bit poignant,...
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