“Curiosity”
may have killed the cat; more likely
the cat was just unlucky, or else curious
to see what death was like, having no cause
to go on licking paws, or fathering
litter on litter of kittens, predictably.
Nevertheless, to be curious
is dangerous enough. To distrust
what is always said, what seems
to ask odd questions, interfere in dreams,
leave home, smell rats, have hunches
do not endear cats to those doggy circles
where well-smelt baskets, suitable wives, good lunches
are the order of things, and where prevails
much wagging of incurious heads and tails.
Face it. Curiosity
will not cause us to die-only lack of it will.
Never to want to see
the other side of the hill
or that improbable country
where living is an idyll
(although a probable hell)
would kill us all.
Only the curious have, if they live, a tale
worth telling at all.
Dogs say cats love too much, are irresponsible,
are changeable, marry too many wives,
desert their children, chill all dinner tables
with tales of their nine lives.
Well, they are lucky. Let them be
nine-lived and contradictory,
curious enough to change, prepared to pay
the cat price, which is to die
and die again and again,
each time with no less pain.
A cat minority of one
is all that can be counted on
to tell the truth. And what cats have to tell
on each return from hell
is this: that dying is what the living do,
that dying is what the loving do,
and that dead dogs are those who do not know
that dying is what, to live, each has to do.
by Alastair Reid
Biggie 2
Brittany Biggie
AP English Pd. 4
Poem Explication
10 December 2009
Curious George
Curiosity: that fateful sensation that often causes a chain reaction and sometimes a
little bit of mayhem. Those who indulge themselves with their inquisitiveness
occasionally discover satisfaction in the outcome. “Curiosity,” by Alastair Reid,
illustrates this peculiar experience. The poem reveals this important aspect of life in the
most unusual way: by centering on the age old quarrel between cats and dogs and an
enlightening saying. “Curiosity” uses allusion, tone, and extended metaphor to explain
the purpose of taking risks in life.
The poem alludes to the ancient cliché “curiosity killed the cat,” which is meant
as a warning to those who are too curious, the ones who take chances. The title and first
line is “Curiosity / may have killed the cat.” This statement implies that there is more to
the story beneath the surface. By placing the word “may” into the original phrase, the
meaning of the phrase changes from an absolute statement about curiosity to an
assumption. The poem goes on to say “more likely / the cat was just unlucky” (2-3). This
declaration reinforces the idea of the assumption and provides another reason why the cat
was killed. The text uses this allusion to present a valid argument—that risk-takers should
not be criticized just because they dare to take chances.
“Curiosity” utilizes defensive and exaggerated tones when explaining the
reasoning behind taking risks. The poem begins by explaining the situation of cats and
Biggie 3
dogs, as well as both the feline and canine nature. Then the text abruptly declares “Face
it” (15). This statement marks the turning point from an informal tone to a defensive one,
which aims to support cats and their nature. The sudden support also grabs the attention
of the audience, focusing their thoughts onto what the poem has to say next. The text then
uses an exaggerating tone, stating that “only [the] lack of [curiosity]” (17) will kill people
and that “Only the curious have, if they live, a tale / worth telling at all” (24-5). Using
defensive and exaggerated tones emphasize what the poem is communicating. This tactic
ultimately focuses attention to the poem’s argument—that people need to take risks to
live a full life.
In the poem, an extended metaphor illustrates the risk-takers and their opposites.
The metaphor relies on two aspects of cats and dogs: the stereotypical relationship that
dogs are not fond of cats and the overall characterization of the two creatures—cats are
daring and carefree, whereas dogs are responsible and cautious. The speaker, who seems
to understand the nature of cats, classifies dogs as an “incurious” (14) breed while also
mentioning that dogs classify their feline opposites as “irresponsible” (27). The poem
reveals that dogs are prejudiced against cats because of their precarious nature. Exposing
the dogs’ slander against cat behavior generates an appeal for cats, which ultimately helps
the poem’s argument.Through the metaphor the poem indicates that people who do not
take risks in life criticize those who are audacious enough to take risks.
Together the allusion, the tones, and the extended metaphor of the poem help
explain the purpose that the poem is trying to convey. Neither the extended metaphor nor
the tones would make much sense if the allusion to the phrase “Curiosity killed the cat”
was not used, and the defensive tone would not go very far without the extended
Biggie 4
metaphor to illustrate the deeper meaning of the poem. By using these three literary
devices the poem is more compatible to the audience because they have a great reference
and illustration. With these literary devices, the poem successfully states that the cat is
right to take chances. The text says forget the ignorance of the dogs and use one of those
nine lives, because no one is ever going to be truly happy until every road had been
taken. Curiosity may have killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back.
Biggie 5
Works Cited
Reid, Alastair. “Curiosity.” Perrine’s Literature. Eds. Thomas R. Arp and Greg
Johnson. 9th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2006. 749-50.
Date
Name
Topic/Title
Area
Ideas and Content
Organization
Word Choice
Sentence Fluency
Voice
Lower Order Concerns
Presentation (Research Guide)
Insight
Support
Introduction and Conclusion
TOTAL
GRADE out of 50
Score
Comments
9
10
9
10
10
9
9
9
9
10
94
47 your writing has come a long way since last year; I think you demonstrate
good understanding of this poem; see comments for improvements
regarding analysis of tone and diction