"For he purrs in thankfulness"
May you be visited by the spirit of your first pet.
May the child within you feel joy, feel known, feel followed by paws.
May you remember being alive before you could tell time.
Letters from a cat: published by her mistress for the benefit of all cats and the amusement of little children by H.H. with seventeen illustrations by Addie Ledyard; 1879
Jubilate Agno (excerpt)
by Christopher Smart
For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry.
For he is the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him.
For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his Way.
For this is done by wreathing his body seven times round with elegant quickness.
For then he leaps up to catch the musk, which is the blessing of God upon his prayer.
For he rolls upon prank to work it in.
For having done duty and received blessing he begins to consider himself.
For this he performs in ten degrees.
For first he looks upon his forepaws to see if they are clean.
For secondly he kicks up behind to clear away there.
For thirdly he works it upon stretch with the forepaws extended.
For fourthly he sharpens his paws by wood.
For fifthly he washes himself.
For sixthly he rolls upon wash.
For seventhly he fleas himself, that he may not be interrupted upon the beat.
For eighthly he rubs himself against a post.
For ninthly he looks up for his instructions.
For tenthly he goes in quest of food.
For having considered God and himself he will consider his neighbor.
For if he meets another cat he will kiss her in kindness....
…
For when his day's work is done his business more properly begins.
For he keeps the Lord's watch in the night against the adversary.
For he counteracts the Devil, who is death, by brisking about the life
For in his morning orisons he loves the sun and the sun loves him
For he is of the Tribe of Tiger
For the Cherub Cat is a term of the Angel Tiger
For he has the subtlety and hissing of a serpent, which in goodness he suppresses.
For he will not do destruction, if he is well-fed, neither will he spit without provocation.
For he purrs in thankfulness, when God tells him he's a good Cat.
For he is an instrument for the children to learn benevolence upon.
For every house is incomplete without him and a blessing is lacking in the spirit.
...
For he is the cleanest in the use of his forepaws of any quadruped.
For the dexterity of his defence is an instance of the love of God to him exceedingly.
For he is the quickest to his mark of any creature.
For he is tenacious of his point.
For he is a mixture of gravity and waggery.
For he knows that God is his Saviour.
For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest.
For there is nothing brisker than his life when in motion
...
For God has blessed him in the variety of his movements.
For, tho he cannot fly, he is an excellent clamberer.
For his motions upon the face of the earth are more than any other quadrupede.
For he can tread to all the measures upon the musick
For he can swim for life.
For he can creep.
Jubilate Agno was written by Christopher Smart between 1758 and 1763 while he was confined to various insane asylums in London. It was not published until 1939. It is divided into four sections; all the lines of some sections begin with “For” and all the lines of other sections begin with “Let.” The original manuscript was arranged with all the “Let” lines facing all the “For” lines on opposite pages.
Creative Invitation
Write a letter from your first childhood animal companion-friend, or draw them.
or
Follow the list format of “Jubilate Agno” to divine the doings, activities and purposes of a certain animal or human that you know well, beginning each line with “For…”
Love this poem! I would love to know more about the author and why he was incarcerated