Miniver Cheevy

Though Edwin Arlington Robinson was renowned in his time, only a few of his poems are still well-known today. One of his most enduring poems is “Miniver Cheevy,” a widely anthologized narrative poem originally published in Robinson’s 1910 collection The Town Down the River. This collection offers various portraits of downtrodden characters living in New York City, written in a realistic style.

“Miniver Cheevy” is a satirical portrait of an unhappy man at odds with modernity, who some critics think resembles the poet himself. Despite this, Robinson does not hold back from being critical of the unflattering aspects of the character’s nature.

Robinson’s peer Robert Frost may have dubbed Robinson the “prince of heartachers” (D. H. Tracy, “Aspects of Robinson.” Contemporary Poetry Review: 2007) but a deeper look into his work and biography reveals an unappreciated optimism for life in the face of hardship. Miniver Cheevy' may not learn this important lesson, but his character serves as a warning to those who would follow in his footsteps.

Poet Biography

Edwin Arlington Robinson toiled in obscurity and poverty for much of his life, but his unwillingness to give up on his dream of being a poet kept him going in the face of early criticism and misunderstanding of his work. He was a poet both modern and traditional, making use of plain language, but eschewing free verse, which was becoming increasingly popular in the early 20th century.

On December 22, 1869, Robinson was born in Head Tide, Maine, but he spent most of his upbringing in Gardiner, Maine, before moving to New York as an adult. His love affair with words began at age five when he learned to read; at 11, he decided to try his hand at poetry. Thus began a life-long dedication to his craft.

Much of Robinson’s poetry portrays characters who have endured personal failures and misfortunes, a subject he knew intimately. In his 20s, in a span of seven years, he lost both of his parents, the family fortune dried up, one of his brothers committed suicide, and the other married the woman he was courting.

On top of his familial misfortunes, his first attempts at getting published were repeatedly rejected. Frustrated, Robinson decided to pay to self-publish his first book, The Torrent and the Night Before. The collection was met with harsh criticism for being too depressing and pessimistic. However, his next book, The Children of the Night, was received more positively, paving the way for Houghton Mifflin to publish his third book Captain Craig. However, Captain Craig received mixed reviews that threatened Robinson’s career.

In a stroke of luck, in 1904, President Roosevelt took a personal interest in Robinson. Robinson dedicated his fourth book, The Town Down the River, to the president and finally got the most positive reviews of his career thus far. The book captured his signature style: gritty portrait poems of characters who attain spiritual knowledge as a result as a result of failure.

From this point on, Robinson published prolifically and finally began to see major success for his efforts. He secured his place on the literary scene, earning three Pulitzer Prizes: the first one awarded for poetry for his Collected Poems in 1922, one in 1924 for The Man Who Died Twice, and the last in 1927, for an epic poem called Tristram. Despite obtaining the recognition he craved his whole life, Robinson continued to live a simple lifestyle and focused on his writing.

In 1935, Robinson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and spent his last days writing his final poem, King Jasper, dying hours after its completion. Up until his last moments, Robinson lived his life with an unwavering devotion to his writing, foregoing marriage, children, and excess wealth, for a legacy of poems, plays, and letters that live on today.

Poem Text

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 days of old

  When swords were bright and steeds were prancing;

The vision of a warrior bold

  Would set him dancing.

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 loved the Medici,

  Albeit he had never seen one;

He would have sinned incessantly

  Could he have been one.

Miniver cursed the commonplace

  And eyed a khaki suit with loathing;

He missed the mediæval grace

  Of iron clothing.

Miniver scorned the gold he sought,

  But sore annoyed was he without it;

Miniver thought, and 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.

Robinson, Edwin Arlington. “Miniver Cheevy.” 1910. Poetry Foundation

Summary

“Miniver Cheevy” is a character sketch of an unremarkable man who despises the current day in which he lives and longs for the epic eras of the distant past. He spends his days lost in his imagination of medieval battles, mythical tales, and infamous historical figures while his reality grows more and more grim. At the end of the poem, Miniver is revealed to be a drinker who has no intention of bettering his life, instead blaming fate for his failures.