Mr. Mistoffelees

Like all the other poems in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, “Mr. Mistoffelees” occurs in an unspecified city—likely London—in 20th century England. The cityscape is deliberately vague, creating a universal appeal. “Mr. Mistoffelees” does not follow a regular stanzaic pattern; instead, the poem is divided in two unequal sections. Lines rhyme throughout but not in a pattern consistent enough to be applied during the whole poem. The speaker of the poem is unnamed, but most probably identified with the poet himself, given the title of the book draws from Eliot’s nickname, “Old Possum.”

The poem’s tone is whimsical and its mood humorous. The narrative voice shifts from the imperative—“You ought” (Line 1)—to the collaborative: “And we all say: OH!” (Line 18). This adds a theatrical touch to the speaker-persona. The poem’s breezy, theatrical quality belies its rich themes, such as the importance of cultivating a child-like wonder throughout life. Though heavily inspired by the fantastical worlds of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear, “Mr. Mistoffelees” cannot be classified as fantasy or simply described as nonsense verse. The poem occupies a genre of Eliot’s own creation, which is part of its lasting allure (and credit to Eliot’s poetic genius).

The title of the poem “Mr. Mistoffelees” is a play on the name Mephistopheles—a minister of Satan. The name may have been invented in the 15th century; Mephistopheles also figures prominently in the play Doctor Faustus (first performed in 1592) by Christopher Marlowe. The cat’s name as Mr. Mistoffelees is not used in a negative sense; rather, the name evokes magic, sorcery, and trickery. Another way to interpret the name is to associate it with “mist”: The cat is as vaporous and difficult to track as a wisp of fog. Eliot uses the idea of cats as mysterious fog in other poems as well, such as in his famous “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (1917), where the cat-like yellow fog rubs itself against windowpanes. A subtler and ironic meaning of the poem’s title is revealed towards the end: The cat is actually a “Miss” or “Mrs.” since it delivers seven kittens. "Mr. Mistoffelees is the only cat in Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats who is given a title, the others having names like Rum Tum Tugger or Macavity. This shows that the “Mr.” part of the title is significant and prefigures its ironic deconstruction at the poem’s end.

Since this poem is meant as a read-aloud poem for small children, the poem uses rhyme, though the rhyme scheme itself is irregular. The speaker uses internal rhymes, such as in “[h]e is always deceiving you into believing” (Line 29). The poem juxtaposes monosyllabic rhymes such as cat / that / bat (Lines 1,2, 4), with the more complex prestidigitation/ legerdemain/examination (Lines 10-12), creating textural contrast. The use of the uncommon words in a poem meant for young children keeps it from lapsing into the sometimes-monotonous reading of nursery-rhymes. It also shows Eliot wasn’t dumbing down his content for young children; though the subject matter is light, its treatment is playful and intelligent. The fantastic-sounding words also deepen the aura of mystery and expertise surrounding Mr. Mistoffelees.

The refrain, “Presto! / Away we go! / And we all say: OH! / Well I never! / Was there ever / A Cat so clever / As Magical Mr. Mistoffelees!” (first used in Lines 16-22) appears thrice and infuses a singsong quality into the poem. What lends the poem its humor is that all of Mr. Mistoffelees’s magical activities are routine feline behaviors, such as silkily sleeping in the hall while the family search for him in the garden or hiding the family’s cutlery. The poem finds magic in the everyday manner of cats and celebrates the beauty in ordinary life.

To emphasize the magical aspect of the everyday, technical terms regarding magic abound throughout the poem, like “legerdemain” (Line 11) which means agility, or “prestidigitation” (Line 10), which refers a sleight of hand when conjuring tricks. Even words like “[p]resto!” are akin to “abracadabra!” which is used by magicians when revealing the resolution or prestige of their trick. The entire poem can be read as an entertaining act of magic for the reader, with the reveal about the kittens as its prestige. In this sense, the speaker is the magician—just like Mr. Mistoffelees. When Mr. Mistoffelees produces seven kittens in a hat: This is his greatest feat because so far no one has suspected “he” was actually she. Thus, to the speaker and the children, the arrival of the kittens seems an act of magic.