Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat is a humorous and lively poem by T. S. Eliot, taken from his book 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'. The poem describes Skimbleshanks, a clever cat who is in charge of the night mail train. The train cannot start until Skimbleshanks is found, because everyone depends on him. He keeps a sharp eye on everything — the passengers, the staff, the luggage and the order on the train. He patrols the train, makes sure all is in place, and watches over the sleeping passengers so that nothing goes wrong, no mice disturb them, and everything runs smoothly. Thanks to his watchful care, the journey is safe and comfortable. The poem celebrates Skimbleshanks's sense of duty, alertness and importance with great fun and rhythm.
Skimbleshanks
The clever and dutiful railway cat who is in charge of the night mail train. He is watchful, responsible and important — the train cannot start without him, and he keeps everything in order during the journey.
Skimbleshanks is the cat of the night mail train. The poem says that the train cannot leave the station until Skimbleshanks is found, because he is so important. When he is missing, the railway officials and porters search everywhere — in the luggage van and along the platform — and the guard, the driver and everyone wait anxiously.
At last, Skimbleshanks appears, and only then does the train start. As the train runs, Skimbleshanks moves through the carriages, keeping a careful watch over everything. He checks the passengers and the staff, makes sure everyone is comfortable, and keeps strict order. He watches over the sleeping travellers so that no mouse or trouble disturbs them.
Through the night, Skimbleshanks remains awake and alert, supervising the whole train. Because of his watchfulness, the journey is smooth, safe and well organised.
The central idea of the poem is a fun celebration of duty, responsibility and alertness, shown through the character of a cat.
Main themes:
The poem is light, funny and full of rhythm, but behind the humour it praises the value of doing one's duty carefully.
T. S. Eliot (1888–1965) was a famous poet and writer. While he is best known for serious poems, he also wrote 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats', a collection of light, humorous poems about cats, from which this poem is taken.
The poem 'Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat' has a strong, bouncing rhythm that imitates the movement of a running train. This musical book of poems later became the basis of the famous musical play 'Cats'.
The poem uses long lines, rhyme and a cheerful tone to make Skimbleshanks come alive as a busy, dutiful and lovable character.
Skimbleshanks is the railway cat — the clever and dutiful cat who is in charge of the night mail train. He is so important that the train cannot start until he is found. During the journey, he keeps a careful watch over the passengers, staff and luggage, making sure everything runs smoothly.
The train cannot start without Skimbleshanks because everyone depends on him to keep order and watch over the train. He is in charge of the night mail, and the officials, guard and driver feel that the train is not ready or safe to leave until Skimbleshanks is present and has taken charge.
During the journey, Skimbleshanks patrols the carriages and keeps a sharp eye on everything. He checks the passengers and the staff, makes sure everyone is comfortable and in order, and watches over the sleeping travellers so that no mice or trouble disturb them. He stays awake and alert through the night, supervising the whole train.
The poem is a humorous celebration of duty, responsibility and alertness. Through the character of a watchful cat, it shows how important it is to do one's work carefully and to keep things in order. It also shows, with great fun, that even a small figure can play a very important role.
The poem was written by T. S. Eliot and is taken from his humorous collection 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'. This book of cat poems later became the basis of the famous musical play 'Cats'.
There's a whisper down the line at 11.39 / When the Night Mail's ready to depart, / Saying 'Skimble where is Skimble has he gone to hunt the thimble?' — The train waits anxiously for the missing cat.
You could say that by and large it was Skimble who was in charge / Of the Sleeping Car Express. — Skimbleshanks is the one truly in command of the train.
He will watch you without winking and he sees what you are thinking — / It is useless for you to try and disobey. — His sharp, watchful nature keeps perfect order.
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