Although in modern day insanity is defined as a mental illness, there is still the cultural prevalence of calling someone "crazy," which seems directly linked to the eighteenth century construction of madness (even though it won't land a person in the asylum anymore). Looking at the poem 'my Cat Jeoffry' by Christopher Smith, how might the reading of this poem have changed based on cultural constructions in the eighteenth century and now?
"For by stroaking of him him I have found out electricity.
For I perceived God's light about him both wax and fire.
For the Electrical fire is the spiritual substance, which God sends from heaven to
sustain the bodies both of man and beast." ('my Cat Jeoffry')
"Madness for much of the eighteenth century, as in the pages of The Spectator, found itself in the free market: when being mad is subject only to the eye of the spectator, definition is a matter of infinite free play, a concept with no more, and no less, meaning than a sufficient multitude wishes it to mean, yet with the full backing of the law behind it, and beyond the law the welcoming arms of the asylum." ('The Madness of a Multitude' 88).
In the biography given for Christopher Smith, Jubilate Agno, which is where this ode to his cat Jeoffry comes from, did not even become recognized until the twentieth century, most likely due to dismissal based on his reputation of madness (which was defined by other people in the eighteenth century). Now it can be seen as an example of an "authentic voice" and a "primal experience." Within the culture he lived in, it may have seemed preposterous to call an animal a follower of God in the way he does, almost calling his cat his equal. At this time, the reason for him being in the asylum would have been given by the "spectator" rather than the person experiencing the proposed insanity. Even today the "spectator" is able to judge whether or no someone is "crazy." It is a very common term that is thrown about in everyday conversation, but it does not mean that the person thinks the other person should be in an asylum anymore.
That being said, looking at this poem from a modern perspective (or more specifically, my perspective) this poem just seems to show the companionship and comfort that Christopher has found in his pet within the construct of his religion. I can't imagine that the asylum was a very comfortable or supportive place, given that madness was about what everyone else thought and their discomfort. When a person has no one else, I think that physical contact of "stroaking" your cat could have almost divine powers. It certainly has healing powers. Now that we understand more about mental illness in general and have a more empathetic view based on the suffering of the person, it is possible to look at this poem with this framework. Also, even on a cultural level, I think many people would be less prone to say he needs to be hospitalized if based on this work alone, as shown by all the internet trends of "Grumpy Cat" and the like.
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