Yin Wei's Post

Sister Cat
Frances Mayes

Cat stands at the fridge,
Cries loudly for milk.
But I've filled her bowl.
Wild cat, I say, Sister,
Look, you have milk.
I clink my fingernail
Against the rim. Milk.
With down and liver,
A word I know she hears.
Her sad miaow. She runs
To me. She dips
In her whiskers but
Doesn't drink. As sometimes
I want the light on
When it is on. Or when
I saw the woman walking
toward my house and
I thought there's Frances.
Then looked in the car mirror To be sure. She stalks
The room. She wants. Milk
Beyond milk. World beyond
This one, she cries.

This poem touches on the theme of unfulfilled desires that often leave one empty inside, through interaction between the persona and a wild cat. The lack of communication but somewhat mutual understanding between the persona and the cat are seen through mere assumptions of material fulfillment, where the persona draws parallels between her wants and needs and that of the cat. The pensive mood of the poem, along with the shift in tone from irritation to melancholia greatly contribute to the overall feel, as well as heightening the relationship between the two characters and the symbolism of the cat in relation to the poem.

This poem can be taught to Secondary 2 or 3 students, where they would have already learnt skills like identifying figurative language, mood and tone. This lesson would be designed for students to apply these skills that they have learnt into poetry analysis, in order to identify the thematic issue that underlies the text. However, emotional maturity and good inference skills are also required to understand the poem.

My main objective for teaching this poem would be for my students to understand the existential theme of unfulfilled, intangible needs, which are often poorly substituted with material items. I would want my students, through studying the overall mood and tone of the poem, analysing the relationship between the persona and the cat which would eventually lead to an understanding of the cat as a poetic symbol and the overarching message that the poem brings. I would ask my students to read the poem out loud in order to get a better understanding and feel of it.
1.What do you think the poem is about? Describe the overall mood of the poem that contributes to your understanding.
2.a) Describe the relationship between the persona and the cat. What do you think is the persona’s attitude towards the cat, and how does it shift throughout the poem?
b)  Why do you think that the persona is unable to provide the cat what it wants?
3. What do you think the cat represents?
4.What is the significance of the title, Sister Cat?