Miniver Cheevy by Edwin Arlington Robinson Janine De

Miniver Cheevy by Edwin Arlington Robinson Janine De Leon Quynh Pham Jason Choy Alex Pham Danny Phan Period 4

Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn, Grew lean while he assailed the seasons; He wept that he was ever born, And he had reasons. Miniver loved the Medici, Albeit he had never seen one; He would have sinned incessantly Could he have been one. Miniver loved the days of old When swords were bright and steeds were prancing; The vision of a warrior bold Would set him dancing. Miniver cursed the commonplace And eyed a khaki suit with loathing; He missed the mediæval grace Of iron clothing. Miniver sighed for what was not, And dreamed, and rested from his labors; He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot, And Priam’s neighbors. Miniver mourned the ripe renown That made so many a name so fragrant; He mourned Romance, now on the town, And Art, a vagrant. Miniver scorned the gold he sought, But sore annoyed was he without it; Miniver thought, and thought, And thought about it. Miniver Cheevy, born too late, Scratched his head and kept on thinking; Miniver coughed, and called it fate, And kept on drinking.

E. A. Robinson Edward Arlington Robinson Born on December 22, 1869 in Lincoln County, Maine Died on April 6, 1935 in New York City Remained unnamed until he was six months old, because his parents were expecting a girl Studied at Harvard University Won three Pulitzer Prizes for his poetry His brother married the woman he loved Never married and died of cancer at the age of 65

Background ● Edwin Arlington Robinson's “Miniver Cheevy” is a dramatic lyric poem centering on a twentiethcentury misfit who dreams of living in the heroic age of sword and horse. ● Miniver is the name of a white or gray fur used in earlier times to trim the ceremonial robes of royals and nobles. In his dreams about the past, Mr. Cheevy perhaps sees himself in such fine robes as an important person at the court of a king—or as the king himself. ● Cheevy resembles words derived from the French noun cheval (horse) to identify gallant knights (chevaliers) and their code of honor (chivalry). lining of the fur

Structure ● The structure of "Miniver Cheevy" contains eight four-line stanzas (quatrains). The first and third lines of each stanza have masculine end rhyme, and the second and fourth lines have feminine end rhyme. Masculine rhyme occurs when the final syllable of a line rhymes with the final syllable of another line. Feminine rhyme occurs when the final two syllables of a line rhyme with the final two syllables of another line. ● “Miniver Cheevy” uses a traditional rhyme scheme known as ABAB, which means that every other line rhymes. It also has a set structure. The first and third lines of each stanza have eight syllables (iambic tetrameter), while the second line of each stanza has nine syllables, and the last, shorter line of each stanza has five syllables. Both of these lines do not have any meter. ● By making longer and shorter lines in each stanza, Robinson creates an uneven feeling to the poem. Just as Miniver Cheevy feels out-of-sync with his era, the meter of the poem seems a little out-of-sync.

Rhyme Scheme & Diction I Miniver loved the Medici, Albeit he had never seen one; He would have sinned incessantly Could he have been one. J A Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn, Grew lean while he assailed the seasons; He wept that he was ever born, B And he had reasons. A B Miniver loved the days of old When swords were bright and steeds C were prancing; The vision of a warrior bold Would set him dancing. C D Miniver sighed for what was not, And dreamed, and rested from his labors; E He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot, And Priam’s neighbors. F D E Miniver mourned the ripe F renown That made so many a name so fragrant; He mourned Romance, now on the town, And Art, a vagrant. G Positive J Negative I Neutral Miniver cursed the commonplace K And eyed a khaki suit with loathing; L He missed the mediæval grace K Of iron clothing. L Miniver scorned the gold he sought, M But sore annoyed was he without it; N Miniver thought, and thought, And thought about M it. N Miniver Cheevy, born too late, Scratched his head and kept O on thinking; Miniver coughed, and called it fate, And kept on drinking. P O

Stanza 1 1 Here Miniver Cheevy says that he is born into hatred. This Figurative Language/ Poetic Devices A Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn, 2 first line already sets the tone B for the poem being that scorn Grew lean while he assailed the seasons; implies disparagement. A He wept that he was ever born, B And he had reasons. 1. scorn: the feeling belief that someone or something is worthless or despicable 2. assailed: made a concerted or violent attack on Alliteration Oxymoron Repetition He got thin as the years went by He wished he had never been born, and rightfully so. Showing regret for the lifestyle that he was born into. Masculine rhyme Feminine rhyme

Stanza 2 Miniver feels that if he were born earlier that he could have had a chance at glory. He loved the glory days of the knights fighting each other Figurative Language/ Poetic Devices C Miniver loved the days of old Enjambment 3 Imagery 4 D Repetition When swords were bright and steeds were Thinking about those times made him happy enough to dance C prancing; D The vision of a warrior bold 3. steeds: horses being ridden or available for riding Would set him dancing. 4. prancing: moving with high springy steps In earlier times a knight was a person held with great esteem. Miniver could have been one of those knights, giving his life a whole knew meaning

Stanza 3 Figurative Language/ Poetic Devices Miniver was not happy with the life he lived. He mourned “what Historical Allusions Miniver sighed for what was not, E Repetition was not” and imagined a different existence. He alludes to And dreamed, and rested from his 5 the past, such as Ancient Greece. labors; 7 6 E He dreamed of Thebes and F Camelot, 5. Thebes: a city of ancient Greece Andand Priam’s 6. Camelot: the legendary site of King Arthur’s palace court neighbors. 7. Priam: a king of Troy F Ancient Greece: ● Thebes is famous in myth, legend, and history, including Oedipus, who was a mythical Greek king of the city ● Priam was king during the Trojan War. The Arthurian World: ● Camelot was where King Arthur ruled and it was the capital of his realm in Arthurian romances.

Stanza 4 Figurative Language/ Poetic Devices 8 G Miniver is sadly disappointed that there will be no romance and artistry that once gave poetry the uprise and grand tragedy that life. Alliteration H Repetition Personification That made so many a name so seemed to him to be forgotten in the present shown as a nobody in Enjambment Miniver mourned the ripe renown G fragrant; 9 H He mourned Romance, now on the 8. renown: the condition of being known or talked about by many people town, And Art, a vagrant. 9. vagrant: a person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place and lives by begging

Stanza 5 Figurative Language/ Poetic Devices 10 I Miniver daydreams about the legendary personages, so called J infamous family 12 I He would have sinned incessantly J Could he have been one. 10. Medici: wealthy Italian family 11. Albeit: although 12. incessantly: without interruption Repetition Albeit he had never seen one; deeds, if only he could escape into the past and change into an Alliteration 11 Medici, whose wickedness would incite him to perform his own evil Historical Allusions Miniver loved the Medici, Enjambment Renaissance: ● Medici: Italian noble family who produced three popes (Leo X, Clement VII and Leo XI) and two queens (Catherine de Medicis and Marie de Medicis). Rulers of Renaissance Florence.

Stanza 6 K Miniver hates the quiet peace that he is given. He is disgusted Enjambment Miniver cursed the commonplace 13 Historical Allusions L with his current appearance and misses the suit of armor that was Figurative Language/ Poetic Devices Alliteration And eyed a khaki suit with loathing; Repetition 14 K worn during the war. Synecdoche He missed the mediæval grace 15 L Of iron clothing. 13. khaki: beige cloth used to make military uniforms 14. mediæval (alternative spelling to medieval): of or relating to the Middle Ages 15. iron clothing: suit of armor Khaki: textile fabric of a dull brownishyellow color, in particular a strong cotton fabric used in military clothing.

Stanza 7 16 M Miniver criticize the idea of looking for gold. But without such Repetition Miniver scorned the gold he sought, N wealth, constant thinking of poverty leaves him depressed. Figurative Language/ Poetic Devices 17 But sore annoyed was he without it; M Miniver thought, and N thought, 16. gold: money 17. sought: desired to obtain or achieve And thought about it.

Stanza 8 O “Born too late” is referring back to the first quatrain how he was the Figurative Language/ Poetic Devices Alliteration Miniver Cheevy, born too late, Repetition “child of scorn, ” because he wasn’t born first and he wasn’t a girl. It P Scratched his head and kept on wouldn’t matter if he wasn’t a girl if he was born early. When Miniver Cheevy “kept on drinking, ” he gave up on himself, O thinking; He realized that he couldn’t control when he was born and P Miniver coughed, and called it fate, he’s hopeless for a better future. And kept on drinking. blamed it on “fate. ”

Quiz 1. Where was E. A. Robinson born? 2. How many Pulitzer Prizes did Robinson win? 3. What type of poem is this? 4. What is the tone for the first line in the poem? 5. Define scorn. 6. In stanza 3, what does the author allude to? 7. In stanza 5, what does Miniver Cheevy daydream about? 8. What is khaki used for? 9. In stanza 7, why does Miniver feel depressed? 10. The poem uses a _____ rhyme scheme known as _____.