Edward Arlington Robinson 's "Miniver Cheevy"

"Miniver Cheevy"written in iambic tetrameter quatrains was first published in The Town down the River in 1910. Edward Arlington Robinson deals with characters who are generally disillusioned with life's turn of events. Miniver Cheevy always found a refuge in the nostalgia of the past. Miniver is hopelessly romantic. The poet opts for a common name to suggest the insignificance of the persona, and a funny one to point to his eccentricity. Miniver prefers romantic idealism to tarnished reality.

Miniver was a "child of scorn" His character seems to have been shaped on the contempt for others. Ironically, it was his wry temperament that invited the wrath of others. He grew lean, and became fragile as he constantly wrestled against the seasons: the diverse circumstances and changing climes. He detested the fact that he was even born. And he had genuine reasons for it. He loved the bygone era, and longed for the pastness of the past. He rather aspired for a Quixotic Yesterday that had valiant men engaged in sword-fight. He was incorrigibly obsessed with a knight in armour. Such thoughts of the medieval romance set him in seventh heaven.

He cherished the thought of the city of Thebes. Thebes is an ancient city of Greece supposed to have been built by Amphion who by playing on his lyre, made the stones move into their places. Ii was the birthplace of Bacchus and Hercules. I t was the rival of neighbouring Athens,and was partially destroyed by Alexander in 336.Therefore,Thebes was an all-pervading symbol of power. Miniver is preoccupied with Camelot, that is the name attributed to King Arthur's Capital. He was also infatuated with Priam, as it was the last king of Troy in ancient Greek Legend. Priam was the son of Laomedon,husband of Hecuba,and father to fifty children including Paris and Hector. When Hercules took Troy in revenge for Laomedon's broken promise to rescue Hesoine from the sea-monster, Priam was spared, and Hesoine redeemed him from captivity. Priam was later slain by Neptolemus when the Greeks captured Troy.

Miniver ardently desired to be one amongst the Medici.The Medici were the powerful rulers of Florence during the renaissance. That he did not even glimpse a single member of the Medici, did not tarnish his unconditional love for them. He failed to comprehend that had he been one among the Medici, he would have become a consistent sinner, as they were notorious for their licentiousness and wayward ways: their evils far outweighed the fact that they patronized the arts.

Miniver despised the common folk, and thought himself to be superior to them. He preferred the glistening armour to commonplace khaki .He developed a strong dislike for the gold he possessed; nevertheless, he could not do without it either. He incessantly thought and ruminated over things. He regretted having been born "well ahead of times." To overcome this, he found his refuge and solace in alcohol, attributing everything to so-called fate.

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