I recently reread “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck and several questions occurred to me. First, is the title of the book meant to refer to the expression? Second, where did it come from? It sounds like it’s taken from a poem (unless I’m mistaken, it would be iambic). In any case, does anyone browsing the boards know the answer to either of these questions, or, better, both?
It’s actually, IIRC, “the best laid plans of mice and men aft gain astray,” and is in a poem by Robert Burns, but I don’t recall the title.
The poem is To A Mouse.
The original line is, " The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley," from the poem “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns. See it here.
Reading this book in High school I remember my teacher calling the title an “allusion” IIRC a reference to another literay work. In this case, the poem previously mentioned.
Off to Cafe Society.
DrMatrix - GQ Moderator
Wasn’t it a biblical expression before Burns? I’m too lazy to look it up, though…
No, I don’t think anyone in the Bible was Scottish.
Burns was talking about wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beasties.
Whoops. Maybe I was mixing it up with “East of Eden.”
What a dummy I am. Hey, it was early on a Saturday morning. I blame that. 
Just for a joke, I recently suggested that the play was REALLY about the mice in Lenny’s pocket, and all the stuff about the farm and all was just to fill out the scenery.
But then, Steinbeck couldn’t have put mice in both the title and Lenny’s pocket without reason, couldn’t he? What if there’s an allusion between how Lenny treats the mice and how God treats humanity?
Anyone seen the version of the movie with Malkovich? That has to be one of the best adaptations of a novel ever. The expression on George’s face at the end when he, uh, does something I won’t reveal because I’m too lazy to use spoiler boxes - it’s absolutely perfect, as is pretty much everything about that movie.
Well, it’s obviously an allusion to the fact that Lenny and George’s plans (which they discuss to the nth detail over and over again) simply don’t work out.
Tying the mouse in Lenny’s pocket into the whole thing is just Steinbeck being brilliant.
I’ve wanted to see the Malkovich/Sinese film for a while now. OMAM is my favorite piece of American lit.
Mandos, this isn’t in iambic pentameter, though the version you posted might be.
I always thought it was “Pesto lame flan of rice Amen. Off to play ashtray!”
Makes more sense, now.
I really shouldn’t be posting on a nice saturday afternoon. I need to go out to the garage and change the oil in the car, but DAMN its hot out there!