“OF MICE AND MEN”

Title Background

Robert Burns

Robert Burns (1759-1796) is known as “Scotland’s Favorite Son,” for being the best loved poet of that country. Shakespeare is the Bard in England, but in Scotland, Robert (or “Rabbie”) Burns is known as the Bard. (Burns, Oregon is named after him!)

He wrote a poem in 1785 entitled “To a Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough.”

152 years later in California, in 1937, John Steinbeck would take a line from that poem and use it for the title of his new book.

To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough……………….The best laid plans o’ mice an menGang (go) oft (often) agley (awry, wrong)And leave us naught (nothing) but grief

an’ painFor (in place of) promised joy!……………….Please respond, in 3-5 sentences, to these

lines from the poem. What do you think they mean? What is Burns talking about?

Make a prediction….

Titles for books are not chosen randomly—the author makes a very intentional choice when deciding upon a book title. Based upon the title of the book, make a prediction as to what this story might be about, or how it might end.