His tired gaze -from passing endless bars…His supple gait, the smoothness of strong strides…But sometimes the curtains of his eyelids part (1138)
Each of Rilke’s quatrains approach the panther in different ways to create a rise, climax, then fall in his poem. Initially we observe the panther from our point of view. We see that he is tired and merely an animal in the first quatrain. However, in the second quatrain we delve into the natural beauty of the animal. Rather than emotion we experience the panther’s raw power. The poem reaches its climax here as it seems impossible to cage such a beast. But, with the third quatrain, we zoom back out and see that the animal is still caged and all of its wildness is for naught.
The resolution of the poem was the hopelessness of the panther
as if awakened, she turns her face to yours; and with a shock, you see yourself, tiny, inside the golden amber of her eyeballs (114)
The basis of the Black Cat poem is a man watching and describing a black cat as it moves. This quote, I believe, embodies the idea of a flipped perspective. The author, seeing himself in the eyes of the cat, realizes that there are two versions to every story. He is shocked to see himself in the eyes of the cat because he comprehends he is not the only observer in his encounter. An effect of respect and pause is created in the poem that makes one use their sympathetic imagination to flip their view.
Perspective is difficult to come by especially after the election
How peacefully they float along, at ease with themselves, totally present in the Now, dignified and perfect as only a mindless creature can be. (1242)
I found it interesting that the author here regards cats as perfect in their existence because of their mindlessness. It makes me think about how perfect a drive instinct is. How animals don’t worry about the past or future, they simply do. While humans struggle with living in the present and living life to the fullest it seems that animals are never worried and go through life one step at a time without complaint. I guess that it’s the cross we have to bear from our gift of thought. We are so often distracted by our inner musings we hesitate, we loose ourselves, and we forget about immediacy.
Monarchs don’t hesitate when it’s time for them to migrate
World Literature Blog 