The Poetry of Men (About Mice)

Class,

Here are the last two stanzas of Robert Burns’ poem, “To a Mouse,” on which John Steinbeck based the title of his novel. Think about how they might relate to what’s going on with George and Lennie.

But Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew,
And leaves us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!

Still you are blest, compared with me!
The present only touches you:
But oh! I backward cast my eye,
On prospects dreary!
And forward, though I cannot see,
I guess and fear!

Do you agree with Burns, that the best laid schemes only end up causing us pain? Is this true for the other characters we’ve read about this semester (The House on Mango Street, A Raisin in the Sun, The Death of a Salesman)? Share your comment below.

You can read the full poem here.

Image: “Blind Mouse 3″ by Duncan Brown via Flickr.