A Child of Scorn What truly defines a child of scorn? Miniver Cheevy was referenced to as a “child of scorn” in the poem “Miniver Cheevy” by Edwin Arlington Robinson. “Miniver Cheevy” is a thirty-two line narrative poem that is composed of eight stanzas with four lines each. This poem recounts the actions of a young man who is obsessed with the glory of the days of the past and desperately attempts to capture the feeling of those times through his imagination and alcohol. This rather depressing poem reflects the theme that one should not let the “what if’s” in life dictate and consume them. Scorn is defined as an object of disdain or contempt (Merriam-Webster). In the poem “Miniver Cheevy,” a young man is distraught because he was born in modern times where he will not be able to experience the past glories of the chivalric ages (Waggoner). In order to fill this yearning, Miniver Cheevy turns to alcohol. He becomes fixated on this and truly becomes a child of scorn, as he does nothing other than obsess. He is lost in his self pity and frustration. It is believed by many that “Miniver Cheevy” is actually a satirical poem, as it is quite comparable to events that transpired in Edwin Arlington Robinson’s early adulthood, specifically his time at college (Poetry Foundation). He …show more content…
In all previous stanzas it has been noted that Miniver Cheevy despised the time that he was from. “Miniver Cheevy, born too late” (29). Until this point in the poem, the reader is only aware of Miniver Cheevy’s disappointment. However, a shift in the tone occurs in lines thirty-one and thirty-two when the poem states “Miniver coughed, and called it fate, and kept on drinking.” At this point in the poem, it becomes apparent that not only is Miniver Cheevy mourning the time in which he is from and fantasizes about the old days, but he is also a hopeless alcoholic. The alcohol is the force which fuels his