Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town - Classic Text | Alexandria
Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town
"Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town" is a whimsical yet sophisticated poem by T.S. Eliot, published in his 1939 collection "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats." The piece presents a portrait of a distinguished feline flaneur who frequents London's most prestigious establishments, embodying the aristocratic excess and social pretensions of the interwar period.
The poem emerged during a fascinating period in Eliot's career, when the Nobel laureate temporarily departed from his characteristically modernist, complex verse to craft lighter works. Written initially for his godchildren in the 1930s, these poems reveal a playful counterpoint to Eliot's reputation as the austere voice behind "The Waste Land." Through personal letters, we know that Eliot drew inspiration from real cats he encountered, including a particularly rotund specimen belonging to a London acquaintance.
The character of Bustopher Jones, described as "the St. James's Street Cat" in a "fastidious black coat and white spats," represents a masterful satire of English upper-class society. His daily rounds of elite clubs and restaurants - from the Grown and Castle to the Sirloin Club - mirror the routines of wealthy Londoners, while his "coat of fastidious black" suggests both literal and metaphorical connections to formal evening wear. The poem's subtle mockery of social climbing and gastronomy would later influence various works exploring class consciousness in British literature.
The poem's enduring legacy extends far beyond its initial publication, most notably through Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical adaptation "Cats" (1981), where Bustopher Jones became a beloved character, typically portrayed as a rotund tuxedo cat in spats and a waistcoat. The character continues to resonate with modern audiences, serving as a reminder of how Eliot's keen social observations remain relevant to contemporary discussions about class, privilege, and the peculiarly human habit of anthropomorphizing our feline companions. Modern scholars increasingly recognize this seemingly light verse as a sophisticated commentary on social structures and urban life, demonstrating how even Eliot's "children's poetry" contains layers of meaning worthy of serious literary analysis.