NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 3 Macavity Poem

Chapter 3 Macavity: The Mystery Cat
Question and Answers
Class 8 – English – Honeydew

Class	Class 8
Subject	English
Book Name	Honeydew
Chapter Name	Macavity: The Mystery Cat
Category	Class 8 English NCERT Solutions

Working with the Poem

Question 1 Read the first stanza and think.

(i) Is Macavity a cat really?

Answer

(i) No, Macavity is not a cat really.

(ii) If not, who can Macavity be?

(ii) Macavity is a trickster who was never gets caught by the Scotland Yard Police. The cat had a cunning mind and his actions resemble those of an expert thief or criminal or a mysterious creature.

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 defies the law, evades arrest and escapes from the clutches of policemen.

ii) The Scotland Yard is baffled because they are unable to catch Macavity red-handed as he escapes from the crime scene even before they arrive.

iii) The Flying Squad is in despair 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 light of the comment above?

Answer Macavity is breaking the law of gravity, which pulls everything towards the earth.It is difficult to trace the cat, Macavity, because he commits a crime and disappears from the scene even before the police arrive.

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

Answer  Macavity is a tall and thin and his head is highly domed. He has a highly domed head, dusty coat, and his whiskers are uncombed due to negligence. His eyes are sunken in and his forehead is wrinkled. He is always wide awake, planning for his next crime even when everyone thinks he is half asleep. 

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) Macavity is not an ordinary cat. – True

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

(iii) Macavity has supernatural powers. – True

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

(v) Macavity is a spy, a trickster and a criminal, all rolled in one. – 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, the poet is fond of cats for his swift movement, expert criminality and the way he gives a slip to the police. He wanted to put a light on his evil side too. He calls Macavity a ‘fiend’ and a ‘monster’ to describe an image of a criminal who escapes easily without leaving a trace behind.

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 many exaggerations in the poem such as Macavity’s defiance of gravitational law, a fiend in feline shape and a monster of depravity. He mentions that the Scotland Yard and the Flying Squad are in utter despair due to their inability to catch the criminal as he escapes the crime scene even before they arrive.

A few examples of these exaggerations from the poem are listed below 1) ‘He’s called the Hidden Paw.’ 2) ‘He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair.’3) ‘He’s broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.’4) ‘His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare.’5) ‘For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.’