My english project due next monday requires that I compare two works of literature (one class related, and one not,) along with their respective themes. I chose to compare Lord of the Rings to the short poem Miniver Cheevy, pasted below.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Miniver Cheevy
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.
Minever mourned the ripe renown
That made so many a name so fragrant;
He mourned Romance, now on the town,
And Art, a vagrant.
Minever 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.
What am I hoping to get out of this?
I admit that, starved for time and ideas, I chose these two works. I have to write a three page paper (which isn't all that bad,) but also create a five minute presentation to give in front of the class. Lord of the Rings and Miniver Cheevy may be a little bit of a stretch, Im not sure. I've tried to be as objective with this as possible despite being such a Tolkien fan. What I would like to draw and compare from each work is a theme relating to Lost Glory, i.e. Lost Glory can be obtained, but not through despondency, or something along those lines. I could make the case for loss of identity in rough times, and also for man conflicting with modern society. What do you guys think? What is the best common theme I can draw from these?
Thanks in advance,
-Arv
Last edited by Arvedui01; May 10, 2012 at 09:48 PM.
I think Tolkien is a mediocre novelist, but if you insist on using him, I recommend reading Jorge Luis Borges' short story 'Tlon...' You will encounter a writer with actual talent and an ability to create worlds far more interesting and unique than Tolkien ever did.
Miniver Cheevy is the inflexible component, LOTR is the flexible one.
Still, its very late in the game for me to change... I prefer to make due with what I have, I just need to know if its a valid comparison or not. Otherwise, I have to scrounge my english textbook for a work and try to apply it to one of the few pieces of fiction I have actually read. LOTR is one of them.
Last edited by Arvedui01; May 10, 2012 at 11:55 PM.
LOTR has more to do with metaphysical concerns than a hankering for days of old. You need to choose a work that, thematically, deals more with nostalgia and compare them on that basis.
By the way, what class is this for? I presume English, but that poem is pretty bad
Lit. Analysis Help
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Absalom, Absalom!
