NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Poem Macavity The Mystery Cat

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Poem Macavity The Mystery Cat

Working with the Poem

Page no 51

Question 1. Read the first stanza and think.

(i) Is Macavity a cat really?

(ii) If not, who can Macavity be?

Answer:-

  1. In reality, Macavity, a mystery character, is not a cat.
  2. Macavity is a fictional character created by the poet who feels the cat’s behaviours are similar to those of a law-breaking criminal. He is a fraudster who is never caught by Scotland Police.

Question 2. Complete the following sentences.

(i) A master criminal is one who ___________________

(ii) The Scotland Yard is baffled because ___________________

(iii) ___________________ because Macavity moves much faster than them.

Answer:-

(i) A master criminal is one who breaks the law, avoids arrest, and gets away from the police.

(ii) The Scotland Yard is baffled because they are unable to get Macavity because he flees the crime scene before they arrive.

(iii) The Flying Squad is unable to arrest him because Macavity moves much faster than them.

 

 

Question 3. “A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through”. (Jules Verne) Which law is Macavity breaking in the light of the comment above?

Answer:- “The law of gravity” is the law that Macavity is breaking in the light of the comment above.

 

 

 

 

Page no 52

 

Question 4. Read stanza 3, and then, describe Macavity in two or three sentences of your own.

Answer:-  Macavity is a mysterious, cunning ginger cat. He is very tall and thin with sunken eyes, highly domed head with wrinkled forehead. His brow is lined with thought. He has a dusty coat and uncombed whiskers.  Others may believe he is half asleep, but he is always fully wide awake.

 

Question 5. Say ‘False’ or ‘True’ for each of the following statements.

(i) Macavity is not an ordinary cat.

(ii) Macavity cannot do what a fakir can easily do.

(iii) Macavity has supernatural powers.

(iv) Macavity is well-dressed, smart and bright.

(v) Macavity is a spy, a trickster and a criminal, all rolled in one.

Answer:-

(i) True (ii) False (iii) True (iv) False (v) True

 

 

Question 6. Having read the poem, try to guess whether the poet is fond of cats. If so, why does he call Macavity a fiend and monster?

Answer:- Yes, it seems that the poet adores cats and admires Macavity’s ability to defy the law and always manage to escape the clutches of the police. He refers to Macavity as a “fiend” and a “monster” in order to highlight the cat’s dark side. He uses these expressions to depict the negative behaviours of a criminal figure who moves quickly and always avoids arrest, vanishing in thin air before the police turn up. The poet may have been inspired by the mysterious and devil-like eyes to construct an evil persona in the form of a cat, who is corrupt and wicked by nature.

 

Question 7. Has the poet used exaggeration for special effect? Find a few examples of it and read those lines aloud.

Answer:- Yes, the poet has used exaggerations in the poem, such as Macavity’s defiance of gravitational law, and phrases like ‘a demon in feline shape and a monster of depravity’ to highlight the cat’s strange vibe. He frequently notes in the poem that  The soldiers and the flying squad were duped by him. He could make a good escape before the police came to the scene of crime.