A Poem for the Sword Lovers Amongst Us

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Nov 25, 1998
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I have always loved swordds, ever since I was a kid reading the King Arthur stories. Now, I do livin history and have an excuse to wear one periodically and to collect some. But I and many of my friends identify with this poem in many ways.

MINIVER CHEEVY
(From ["The Town Down the River")
by Edwin Arlington Robinson

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.

Miniver mourned the ripe renown
That made so many a name so fragrant;
He mourned Romance, now on the town,
And Art, a vagrant.

Miniver 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 mediaeval 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.
 
I think that poem adequately sums up the feelings of many of us in the sword collecting world Hugh. I suspect that we are all a bit romantic at heart, and that if we were somehow transplanted back to the days of yore we would quickly discover that the lack of central heating, indoor plumbing not to mention those pesky raids by the local baron are a bit more inconvenient then we ever imagined. I also suspect that those from the days of yore would if shown the wonders of the modern world would think we were completely daft to want to go hang out in ye olden days. It's a fascinating mental exercise to think that the poorest person in this country has things that the mightiest king of antiquity could never have dreamed of.
 
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