As the Cat

By William Carlos Williams

PowerPoint By Stephanie Dellavia Joanie Murphy, Jack Thompson, Brad Harris, and Jake Ducey

History Of William Carlos Williams

- Williams was born September 17, 1883 in Rutherford, NJ.

- As The Cat was published/written in 1934.

- Before writing poetry, Williams was a doctor for most of his life.

- He died March 4, 1963.

The Poem As the catclimbed overthe top of

the jamclosetfirst the rightforefoot

carefullythen the hindstepped down

into the pit ofthe emptyflower pot

The Analysis

In the poem, the cat represents a human and the jamcloset represents an obstacle. The cat was hesitant about moving over the jamcloset at first, like a human might be when faced with an obstacle and needs to move forward in life. Once he gets over the obstacle, the cat is now stuck in an empty flower pot and would find it difficult to get out. Just as a human when overcoming an obstacle can be stuck in a difficult situation.

The Tone/Mood of the Poem

The tone of the poem is cautious, but the mood is inspiring.

What is the form, and the rhythm of the poem?

The form of the poem is in Stanzas.

It doesn’t rhyme and it has no rhythm.

It also is in free verse.

You can read the poem like it’s a sentence.

The Theme

Decision Making

- Look at what your doing before making a decision.

- Look before you leap- One step at a time

You may participate and sing along to One Step at a Time by Jordan Sparks : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRUCgpOv9Ck