‘Miniver Cheevy’: When Nostalgia Runs Amok

The poem is a century-old lesson on living in the present moment.

Miniver Cheevy lacks the will to reinvigorate the present with the virtues of the past. "Duel of Knights" by an unknown 19th-century artist. Public Domain

“What’s in a name?” asks Shakespeare’s Juliet from her balcony. She then answers her own question: “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” In other words, it’s the person who counts, not the name. But is that always the case?

In "Romeo and Juliet," Juliet poses the question: If a rose was called by another name, would it still have its trait: a sweet smell? "The Time of Roses," 1916, by John William Godward. Oil on canvas. Private collection. Public Domain