The Song of the Jellicles

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T. S. Eliot (1915)

One of Eliot’s most anthologized poems, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is a modernist masterpiece. The poem is about a lonely, old man who seeks to ask an ambiguous question to an unnamed woman. While there are many interpretations of “Prufrock,” the reason this poem relates to “The Song of the Jellicles” is that it contains many of the same rhythmic movements and structures. “Prufrock” is also an easier Eliot modernist poem to read than poems like “The Waste Land,” so if a reader wishes to see what Eliot’s mature poetry looks like, this poem is a good one with which to start.

"The Jellicle Ball" by Andrew Lloyd Webber (1981)

While Cats does not include “The Song of the Jellicles,” “The Jellicle Ball” is a close adaptation. This song opens the play, and it introduces the audience to many of the main cat characters. The song also serves as a good introduction to the play. If the song does not conjure the kind of images in the reader’s mind that Eliot intended, the play offers visuals to accompany the words.