Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

Content and style

The poems employ rhyme, meter and carefully chosen diction to give each animal a distinct voice. Eliot mixes affectionate satire with imaginative detail: cats in these pieces have names, secrets and reputations, and their behaviour is presented with the sensibility of an amused observer. Poems commonly associated with the book include The Naming of Cats, Macavity, Mr. Mistoffelees, The Rum Tum Tugger and Old Deuteronomy; some of these titles have entered wider culture and are frequently anthologized.

• The Naming of Cats reflects on identity and the private names a cat may keep.
• Macavity portrays a criminally clever cat who always eludes capture.
• Mr. Mistoffelees and The Rum Tum Tugger offer comic character studies with strong theatrical appeal.

Publication and reception

Assembled and first published in 1939, the collection represented a deliberately lighter facet of Eliot's work, contrasting with his more formal modernist poems. From early on the verses found favor with readers and illustrators; they have been issued in many editions, often accompanied by distinctive artwork. Critics have noted how the poems demonstrate technical care even as they maintain an accessible, jocular surface.

Adaptation and legacy

Many of the poems were adapted and expanded into the stage musical Cats, produced and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The theatrical version set the verses to music, added choreography and linked individual sketches into an evening-length entertainment, bringing Eliot's feline characters to a global audience and cementing their place in popular culture.

Further influence

Beyond the musical, the poems continue to be read, taught and illustrated. They are used to introduce young readers to elements of poetic technique while offering material rich for performance and adaptation. Translations and illustrated editions have helped the work reach readers in many countries, and references to Eliot's cats appear in books, media and everyday conversation as enduring, affectionate images of feline personality.