Published in 1910 by the American poet Edward Arlington Robinson, "Miniver Cheevy" spotlights the dangers of romanticizing the past. The titular character, Miniver Cheevy, is an unhappy man who believes he was born in the wrong era. He covets tales about famous figures from history and fantasizes about eras ranging from ancient Greece to the Middle Ages, idealizing ways of life he has never experienced. As the poem develops, it becomes clear that Miniver's obsession with the past interferes with his life in the present, as he rejects his current circumstances and spends all his time feeling sorry for himself. The poem uses rhyming quatrains, or four-line stanzas, and a strong iambic rhythm throughout.
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The Full Text of “Miniver Cheevy”
1Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn,
2 Grew lean while he assailed the seasons;
3He wept that he was ever born,
4 And he had reasons.
5Miniver loved the days of old
6 When swords were bright and steeds were prancing;
7The vision of a warrior bold
8 Would set him dancing.
9Miniver sighed for what was not,
10 And dreamed, and rested from his labors;
11He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot,
12 And Priam’s neighbors.
13Miniver mourned the ripe renown
14 That made so many a name so fragrant;
15He mourned Romance, now on the town,
16 And Art, a vagrant.
17Miniver loved the Medici,
18 Albeit he had never seen one;
19He would have sinned incessantly
20 Could he have been one.
21Miniver cursed the commonplace
22 And eyed a khaki suit with loathing;
23He missed the mediæval grace
24 Of iron clothing.
25Miniver scorned the gold he sought,
26 But sore annoyed was he without it;
27Miniver thought, and thought, and thought,
28 And thought about it.
29Miniver Cheevy, born too late,
30 Scratched his head and kept on thinking;
31Miniver coughed, and called it fate,
32 And kept on drinking.
The Full Text of “Miniver Cheevy”
1Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn,
2 Grew lean while he assailed the seasons;
3He wept that he was ever born,
4 And he had reasons.
5Miniver loved the days of old
6 When swords were bright and steeds were prancing;
7The vision of a warrior bold
8 Would set him dancing.
9Miniver sighed for what was not,
10 And dreamed, and rested from his labors;
11He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot,
12 And Priam’s neighbors.
13Miniver mourned the ripe renown
14 That made so many a name so fragrant;
15He mourned Romance, now on the town,
16 And Art, a vagrant.
17Miniver loved the Medici,
18 Albeit he had never seen one;
19He would have sinned incessantly
20 Could he have been one.
21Miniver cursed the commonplace
22 And eyed a khaki suit with loathing;
23He missed the mediæval grace
24 Of iron clothing.
25Miniver scorned the gold he sought,
26 But sore annoyed was he without it;
27Miniver thought, and thought, and thought,
28 And thought about it.
29Miniver Cheevy, born too late,
30 Scratched his head and kept on thinking;
31Miniver coughed, and called it fate,
32 And kept on drinking.
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“Miniver Cheevy” Summary
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“Miniver Cheevy” Themes
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The Dangers of Romanticizing the Past
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Miniver Cheevy”
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Lines 1-4
Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn,
Grew lean while he assailed the seasons;
He wept that he was ever born,
And he had reasons. -
Lines 5-8
Miniver loved the days of old
When swords were bright and steeds were prancing;
The vision of a warrior bold
Would set him dancing. -
Lines 9-12
Miniver sighed for what was not,
And dreamed, and rested from his labors;
He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot,
And Priam’s neighbors. -
Lines 13-16
Miniver mourned the ripe renown
That made so many a name so fragrant;
He mourned Romance, now on the town,
And Art, a vagrant. -
Lines 17-20
Miniver loved the Medici,
Albeit he had never seen one;
He would have sinned incessantly
Could he have been one. -
Lines 21-24
Miniver cursed the commonplace
And eyed a khaki suit with loathing;
He missed the mediæval grace
Of iron clothing. -
Lines 25-28
Miniver scorned the gold he sought,
But sore annoyed was he without it;
Miniver thought, and thought, and thought,
And thought about it. -
Lines 29-32
Miniver Cheevy, born too late,
Scratched his head and kept on thinking;
Miniver coughed, and called it fate,
And kept on drinking.
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“Miniver Cheevy” Symbols
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War and Battle
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“Miniver Cheevy” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Repetition
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Alliteration
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Assonance
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Consonance
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Allusion
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Personification
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Irony
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Caesura
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“Miniver Cheevy” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Miniver
- Scorn
- Lean
- Assailed
- Seasons
- Steeds
- Thebes
- Camelot
- Priam
- Ripe renown
- Fragrant
- Vagrant
- Medici
- Albeit
- Incessantly
- Mediæval
- Grace
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Miniver Cheevy”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Miniver Cheevy” Speaker
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“Miniver Cheevy” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Miniver Cheevy”
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More “Miniver Cheevy” Resources
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External Resources
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A Reading of the Poem — Check out this recording of a dramatic reading of "Miniver Cheevy."
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Camelot — Read more about Miniver's beloved Camelot, the legendary castle and court where King Arthur hosted his Knights of the Round Table.
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About the Author — To learn more about Edwin Arlington Robinson, take a look at this overview of his life and work.
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The Medici — The Medici family was one of the most influential Italian dynasties in the Renaissance period, and their story makes for an interesting read!
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Edwin Arlington Robinson
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