The use of alternating masculine and femi-
nine rhyme and the use of verbal irony work
together to convey two versions simultaneously
of Miniver Cheevy. In one sense, Cheevy is a
tragic fellow, a man out of step with his society,
a dreamer, a ne’er-do-well, a drinker. In another
sense, the poem presents the caricature of a fool:
Cheevy is ridiculous and delusional, a man to
laugh at. He avoids acting like a responsible
adult; he dreams of what might have been and
wastes his days doing it, only making the present
worse by avoiding its challenges.
Historical Context
The New Generation of Poetry
When ‘‘Miniver Cheevy’’ was published in 1910,
the world of poetry was entering a new era. Liter-
ature in the first half of the nineteenth century had
been shaped by romanticism, which emphasized
man’s innate place in nature and stressed the har-
mony of the natural world. This approach was
challenged, to say the least, by the realities at
mid-century of the American Civil War. After it
ended in 1865, realism and naturalism evolved inCOMPARE
&
CONTRAST 1910:A dreamer can look back to bygone
eras he has read about in books, imagining
what life was like at those times based on
how they are described in literature.
Today:Multiplayer role-playing games such
asWorld of Warcraftand the futuristicHalo
let people simulate what it might be like to
live in different eras.
1910:Most Americans of limited means can
only imagine what Great Britain, Europe,
and the Middle East are like; these are the
settings of Miniver Cheevy’s fantasies.
Today:People can book a flight to Greece or
Florence online and experience firsthand on
vacation the enduring artistic achievements
in European countries. Similarly, they can
visit the southwest counties of England and
places associated with the legendary King
Arthur. Other individuals can travel for
free in their imaginations by enjoying trave-
logues on DVD from their local library.
1910:Every town has a character or two like
Cheevy, who feels lost in the ever-changing
modern world.
Today: Technology in the computer age
changes quickly. People struggle to keep with
the newest applications. As a result, the sense
of being lost in the modern world is common.1910:A man like Cheevy might want to
acquire money but be unwilling to work for it.
Today:Forty-three states, the District of
Columbia, and the U.S. protectorates have
lotteries. Casino gaming is legal nationwide
and is permitted in most states. Many people
long to receive a lot of money without work-
ing for it, imagining that such good luck will
solve their problems.
1910:Knights on horseback are easy to imag-
ine for most people, since most people use
horses for travel, either riding them or using
them to pull carriages. The horseless carriage,
the automobile, is just coming into use.
Today:Only a few people have firsthand
knowledge of horse culture, but the fantasy
of knights and damsels is kept alive in drama,
cultural events, and interactive games.
1910:Cheevy might dream of the protection
that armor could provide, though, as the
poem implies, ‘‘iron clothing’’ is not practical
or comfortable.
Today: Soft body armor such as Kelvar
combines the protection of chain mail with
the pliability of fabric.Miniver Cheevy