Andrea Hrinda
AP English
Explication
January 7, 2010
Skills Page
5.3 Nonessential Elements
MY SENTENCE: "Curiosity" by Alastair Reid examines what it is to be curious and why
"curiosity killed the cat."
EXPLANATION: Use commas to set off nonessential subordinate clauses and nonessential
participial phrases. I found this information from Holt Handbook on page 338
REVISED EXAMPLE: "Curiosity," by Alastair Reid, examines what it is to be curious and why
"curiosity killed the cat."
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE: My friend, Howard, loves pudding.
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Skills Page
6.2 Colons
MY SENTENCE: The differences between cats and dogs--cats' curiosity and daring nature vs dogs' loyal
and innocent nature--are modeled with use of literary devices; tone, imagery and symbolism.
EXPLIATION: Use a colon to mean “note what follows.” I found this information from Holt Handbook on
page 359.
REVISED SENTENCE: The differences between cats and dogs--cats' curiosity and daring nature vs dogs'
loyal and innocent nature--are modeled with use of literary devices: tone, imagery and symbolism.
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE: My favorite video games are as follows: Final Fantasy VI, the Legend of Zelda: A
Link to the Past and Portal, among others.
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Skills Page
5.7 Unnecessary Commas
MY SENTENCE: The tone of the poem is apathetic and blunt about cats, but naive and
unknowing for canines.
EXPLANATION: A single short introductory prepositional phrase does not require
a comma unless the phrase is parenthetical or unless the sentence is confusing
or awkward without the comma. I got this information from Holt Handbook on page 348.
REVISED EXAMPLE: The tone of the poem is apathetic and blunt about cats but naive and
unknowing for canines.
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE: I enjoy eating cough drops when I do not have a sore throat.
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Andrea Hrinda
AP English
Explication Reflection
January 7, 2010
I also enjoyed this essay. I loved this poem and I loved dissecting it. What interested
me most was just the simple battle between cats and dogs and the symbolic meaning it has
toward humans. Also, I love cats, and am often called one, for whatever reason. That being
said, I enjoyed it and really took meaning away from the poem.
Other than the simple truth that I wish I would have checked it over a little more and
caught some of those silly mistakes, I think I did well. I have an ongoing problem with
unnecessary commas that I’m sure I will be battling through college. However, one will be
happy to know that it is improving and I catch myself typing out a comma and promptly
backspace.
I found this essay a nice test of my explication skills. As I said, I loved the poem so
it was easy for me to get into it and find meaning. The only challenge for me was conveying
exactly what I wanted to say; a problem that I still have problems with, in most situations.
But, as stated, I wouldn’t change much. I like it, and I did well.
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Andrea Hrinda
AP English: Explication: "Curiosity"
Revised January 7, 2010
Curiosity Killed the Cat, Maybe
"Curiosity," by Alastair Reid, examines what it is to be curious and why "curiosity killed
the cat." The age old adage about curiosity killing cats may not be what it is thought to be;
and maybe cats die simply because they seek too much knowledge. The differences
between cats and dogs--cats' curiosity and daring nature vs dogs' loyal and innocent
nature--are modeled with use of literary devices: tone, imagery and symbolism. Through the
use of these devices, the poem also conveys its thematic statement, focusing on life: if one
questions the world and takes chances, a fulfilled and happy life may be result.
The tone of the poem is apathetic and blunt about cats but naive and unknowing for
canines. The poem introduces the differences between dogs and cats using the adage
"curiosity killed the cat," but adds a twist, stating, "curiosity may have killed the cat; more
likely the cat was just unlucky, or else curious to see what death was like" (Reid 1-3). Using
words such as "just," "unlucky," and "may have" conveys both what cats do with their
curiosity and the cats' nature in general. Cats, traditionally, are independent and finicky;
they are uncaring about their owners, unless they are exceptionally affectionate. This
contrasts with the dogs' naivety. Dogs' are much more affectionate than cats, they depend
on their owners and wish for attention. The second stanza contrasts the two opposing
species in a general statement, giving the dogs a good life, with words such as "well-smelt,"
"wagging," and of course, "incurious" (12, 14). These very "doggy" words set up the poem's
distinctive qualities; the good-life of dogs, the irresponsible and dangerous life for cats, and
the truth of the matter.
The imagery in the poem favors the dogs. Dogs are the loyal man's best friend, while the
cats are independent and live dangerously. The images in the poem are distrustful and
condescending towards the cats—from the dogs point-of-view. The dogs deem the cats
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"irresponsible...changeable" and accuse them of "[deserting] their children" (26-28). The
dogs live their lives happily, and regard the cats negatively. However, dogs do not have to
face harsh answers because they do not ask questions as cats do. Although cats are
"contradictory," and "curious enough to change," they are "prepared to pay the cat price"
(31-33). Cats are unpredictable--they go through life always asking questions and wanting
to know more, but in the process of knowledge searching, they get entangled with death,
and "die again and again" (34). Still, the cats seek knowledge, and consequently live a
better life, knowing all they can. Although, these words create a negative standpoint from
the dogs' point-of-view, the cats' point-of-view is apathetic and expected. They are fine with
living their lives, dying nine times over and discovering new things. The apathy comes from
the mindset that the cowards may do what they please, but the daring will prosper
nevertheless.
The symbolism in "Curiosity" is derived from the old adage about cats and curiosity. The
cats are the adventure seekers, while the dogs are cowards. Both animals represent a group
of humans: cats being the brave questioners, constantly seek new information no matter
the costs; and dogs represent an unknowing group, happily content with their innocent,
questionless world. While the dogs stay inside and enjoy the comforts of their owner's
hospitality, never questioning the world around them, the cats distrust the world, and use
every one of their nine lives to seek knowledge. The nine lives the cats' posses allow them
to 'die' more than once. Their multiple allow felines seek answers to their questions without
fear or regret. The brave die "again and again, each time with no less pain" in their quest,
but achieve the knowledge of how to live, while the cowardly stay complacent, dumb and
await a single death much worse than nine (34-35). The final statement of the poem "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" shows the positive outlook of
curiosity and what the dogs are missing in their complacent, dull life (40-43). The
connotative meaning of "dying" changes in these lines. Dying becomes positive rather than
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negative. The statement states that the only way to live, is to die; to leave the complacent,
dull life and explore and question the world. In lines 15-17, the poem reinforces this by
saying "curiosity/will not cause us to die--/only lack of it will." Lack of curiosity will keep one
in the naive life, without questions. In order to live, in order to love, one must take chances,
question and explore everything. Make use of the "nine" lives, get lost multiple times and
find happiness. Thematically, this is what the poem enforces: be curious like a cat, death
may ensue; but to live it must be so.
Alastair Reid's "Curiosity" emphasizes the thematic statement through use of tone,
imagery and symbolism. Using these literary devices achieves contrast between a dog's
nature and a cat's--symbolically, this comparison relates to a coward and a brave being. By
adjusting the tone and images to convey the dogs' opinions of cats, and the cats' truth
about the world, the thematic statement is achieved and a general advice for life is made.
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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.
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Andrea Hrinda
AP English: Explication: "Curiosity"
Curiosity Killed the Cat, Maybe
"Curiosity" by Alastair Reid examines what it is to be curious and why "curiosity killed
the cat." The age old adage about curiosity killing cats may not be what it is thought to be;
and maybe cats die simply because they seek too much knowledge. The differences
between cats and dogs--cats' curiosity and daring nature vs dogs' loyal and innocent
nature--are modeled with use of literary devices; tone, imagery and symbolism. Through
the use of these devices, the poem also conveys its thematic statement, focusing on life: if
one questions the world and takes chances, a fulfilled and happy life may be result.
The tone of the poem is apathetic and blunt about cats, but naive and unknowing for
canines. The poem introduces the differences between dogs and cats using the adage
"curiosity killed the cat," but adds a twist, stating, "curiosity may have killed the cat; more
likely the cat was just unlucky, or else curious to see what death was like" (Reid 1-3). Using
words such as "just," "unlucky," and "may have" conveys both what cats do with their
curiosity and the cats' nature in general. Cats, traditionally, are independent and finicky;
they are uncaring about their owners, unless they are exceptionally affectionate. This
contrasts with the dogs' naivety. Dogs' are much more affectionate than cats, they depend
on their owners and wish for attention. The second stanza contrasts the two opposing
species in a general statement, giving the dogs a good life, with words such as "well-smelt,"
"wagging," and of course, "incurious" (12, 14). These very "doggy" words set up the poem's
distinctive qualities; the good-life of dogs, the irresponsible and dangerous life for cats, and
the truth of the matter.
The imagery in the poem favors the dogs. Dogs are the loyal man's best friend, while the
cats are independent and live dangerously. The images in the poem are distrustful and
Hrinda 10
condescending towards the cats. The dogs deem the cats "irresponsible...changeable" and
accuse them of "[deserting] their children" (26-28). The dogs live their lives happily, and
regard the cats negatively. However, dogs do not have to face harsh answers because they
do not ask questions as cats do. Although cats are "contradictory," and "curious enough to
change," they are "prepared to pay the cat price" (31-33). Cats are unpredictable--they go
through life always asking questions and wanting to know more, but in the process of
knowledge searching, they get entangled with death, and "die again and again" (34). Still,
the cats seek knowledge, and consequently live a better life, knowing all they can.
Although, these words create a negative standpoint from the dogs' point-of-view, the cats'
point-of-view is apathetic and expected.
The symbolism in "Curiosity" is derived from the old adage about cats and curiosity. The
cats are the adventure seekers, while the dogs are cowards. Both animals represent a group
of humans: cats being the brave questioners, constantly seek new information no matter
the costs; and dogs represent an unknowing group, happily content with their innocent,
questionless world. While the dogs stay inside and enjoy the comforts of their owner's
hospitality, never questioning the world around them, the cats distrust the world, and use
every one of their nine lives to seek knowledge. The nine lives the cats' posses allow them
to 'die' more than once. Their multiple allow felines seek answers to their questions without
fear or regret. The brave die "again and again, each time with no less pain" in their quest,
but achieve the knowledge of how to live, while the cowardly stay complacent, dumb and
await a single death much worse than nine (34-35). The final statement of the poem "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" shows the positive outlook of
curiosity and what the dogs are missing in their complacent, dull life (40-43). The
connotative meaning of "dying" changes in these lines. Dying becomes positive rather than
negative. The statement states that the only way to live, is to die; to leave the complacent,
dull life and explore and question the world. In lines 15-17, the poem reinforces this by
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saying "curiosity/will not cause us to die--/only lack of it will." Lack of curiosity will keep one
in the naive life, without questions. In order to live, in order to love, one must take chances,
question and explore everything. Make use of the "nine" lives, get lost multiple times and
find happiness. Thematically, this is what the poem enforces: be curious like a cat, death
may ensue; but to live it must be so.
Alastair Reid's "Curiosity" emphasizes the thematic statement through use of tone,
imagery and symbolism. Using these literary devices achieves contrast between a dog's
nature and a cat's--symbolically, this comparison relates to a coward and a brave being. By
adjusting the tone and images to convey the dogs' opinions of cats, and the cats' truth
about the world, the thematic statement is achieved and a general advice for life is made.
Hrinda 12
Work Cited
"Curiosity." Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense. 9th ed. Michael Rosenberg,
2006. 749-50. Print.
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
10
9
10
9
9
9
10
9
94
47 see comments regarding 2nd and 3rd paragraphs for revisions; nice job with
the elements of the poem; revise LOCs