William Carlos Williams – “As the Cat”

I am delighted to have the good fortune of sharing an analysis on William Carlos Williams's "As the Cat." The short poem paints a picture of a cat that climbs up on top of a "jamcloset" (Williams 4), then proceeds to carefully step down into an empty flowerpot; that's the whole poem. While simple enough on the first read, the real fun of a Williams poem comes in the interpretation of it all. What does it mean? I can only speculate on the true meaning behind this extended metaphor, but here is my attempt at interpreting it.

            Upon searching Webster's dictionary I discovered that jamcloset is not actually a word; this leads me to believe that since the cat climbed over something called a jamcloset, this could be a metaphor for someone maneuvering their way above a "sticky" situation. The "jam" prefix could be interpreted two ways: it could either refer to the verb jam which means to pack something into a space (a closet for example), or it could refer to the jam that one spreads on toast. The verb jam could translate into a tight situation, and the noun jam could translate to a sticky situation. The cat's right forefoot moves "carefully" (7). This lets the reader understand that he has a destination in mind which is revealed at the end. After carefully moving over the top of the jamcloset, the cat then "step[s] down" into  "the pit of / then empty / flowerpot" (9-12). The way that the cat moves suggests that this final destination is premeditated. Cats generally feel safer when they are low to the ground or inside something (like a box or a flowerpot). The juxtaposition of the jamcloset and the empty flowerpot can represent the idea of danger and safety. It is sometimes in human nature to avoid situations representative of the jamcloset and stay wherever we are secure; security can be found in a physical location, a state of mind, or anything of the like where a person feels comfortable.

            Referring to the emptiness of the flowerpot as "the pit" (10) has some negative connotations if applied to the metaphor I am trying to create. A pit is generally referred to as a hole where someone cannot escape. Usually people fall into pits; however, the cat steps down into this pit. This could mean (if we stick with this same metaphor) that we as people consciously choose our own downfalls. Security is a downfall because it is usually not pliable to change. We constantly maneuver our way around dangerous situations to find our hole, and in this sense we fallen into a pit of comfort, which can hinder the way we live. The cat's forefoot that carefully moved first down towards the pot is referred to as the "right" forefoot (5). While some people envision right meaning the opposite of left, I choose to see it as the opposite of wrong. The cat sees that his move down into the pot is the "right" decision, as opposed to staying by the jamcloset, which may be the "wrong" decision to him.

            This poem is fantastic in its simplicity because it invites many interpretations. In a way I believe that a cat is an excellent choice for this poem as opposed to some other animal. The way that a cat moves reflects the way that people move through uncomfortable situations in life. We know what we want: safety; yet we are generally tender-footed when in new situations. It is in human nature to have a destination in mind.     - Kennedy Pope