Soundless the moth-flit, crisp the death-watch tick; Crazed in her shaken arbour bird did sing; Slow wreathed the grease adown from soot-clogged wick: The Cat looked long and softly at the King. Mouse frisked and scampered, leapt, gnawed, squeaked; Small at the window looped cowled bat a-wing; The dim-lit rafters with the night-mist reeked: The Cat looked long and softly at the King. O wondrous robe enstarred, in night dyed deep: O air scarce-stirred with the Court's far junketing: O stagnant Royalty -- A-swoon? Asleep? The Cat looked long and softly at the King. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TWO FUNERALS: 1. by LOUIS UNTERMEYER A DIVINE IMAGE, FR. SONGS OF EXPERIENCE by WILLIAM BLAKE THE PHILOSOPHER by EMILY JANE BRONTE THE LIVING TEMPLE by OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES THE WIDOW'S MITE by FREDERICK LOCKER-LAMPSON |