“All that glitters is not gold,” Gray supposed in his poem, Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat. Although today the term is broadly understood to mean that not everything is precious, there is evidence to suggest that there is a more cautionary tone surrounding this saying. Because Gray uses it to lament the death of Horace Walpole's favorite cat, when the text is analyzed further, aspects of the mock epic are revealed. However, this use of the mock epic is less humorous in tone and more as a vehicle to warn readers of the tragedy that befalls them when they recklessly pursue certain desires. Therefore, in Thomas Gray's Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat, Gray uses the style of mock epic along with a non-human character to describe how people dangerously pursue material in their lives, at the risk of their own death. To see how Gray's Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat uses the mirrors of mock epic style, we must identify the characteristics and conventions of epic literature. A common feature of epics is that there is commonly an enormous amount of focus on an object of desire. In the case of a mock epic, the object in question is given disproportionate importance. In Alexander Pope's fictional epic The Rape of the Lock, the primary object of desire is Belinda's lock of hair. Since the lock is an object that the Sylphs surrounding it are tasked with guarding, it is treated as something sacred and becomes a symbol of Belinda's chastity. In the case of Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat, goldfish are treated as objects of desire. The fish take on “angel shapes” and wear shades of purple and gold – regal colors that give the fish a disparate sense of importance and attract the cat to the bowl. This flattering... middle of paper... disgusting to predators. Now their descendants are shy, domesticated cats who live a sedentary life. Just as the hero's face has changed for both man and feline over time, so too have their desires. A desire for material gain has formed. Therefore, the danger of recklessly longing for material is something that Gray warns the reader about. Destiny, which guided battle-hardened warriors in the battle for righteousness, has become spiteful in having to be at the beck and call of those who pursue useless desires. This is why "evil fate sat and smiled" when Selima drowned. He has severed ties with those who are not worthy of fate, and Gray warns the reader that if you do not prioritize your wants and needs as a human being, you too could face death. Gray's use of mock epic thus reflects on the mockery of current human priorities compared to those of long ago.