Richard Cory

In the poem, “Richard Cory,” Edwin A. Robinson emphasizes the idea that people do not really know one another, and sometimes our perspective of an individual is skewed. Today there are standards regarding the expectations and desires of humanity. Individuals that have the “desirable” characteristics are considered superior and are envied by the rest of us. However, exceeding the societal norms does not guarantee happiness. In the poem, Richard Cory seems to have it all, but in fact was miserable enough to take his own life. Robinson uses diction, tone and irony to create a scenario that has an unexpected twist in the end to surprise the readers. According to The Bedford Introduction to Literature, formal diction is “the diction that consists of a dignified, impersonal, and elevated use of language” (pp.802). Robinson uses a formal diction that reflects the respect Richard has from the people and the distant relationship between him and the rest of his town. He uses connotations, such as “crown” (3), “imperially”…

Both ballads, “Warren Pryor” and “Richard Cory”, have similar story lines, but with different moods and themes. In Alden Nowlan’s “Warren Pryor” the main character’s parents sacrifice everything for him to be able to have a better future, but he, Warren Pryor, isn’t happy with his life. He would enjoy the simplicity of working on the family farm much more than being a banker. But because his family sacrificed everything for him he now sacrifices his happiness for them. In Edwin Arlington…

Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem, “Richard Cory,” is brimming with irony. The brilliant use of situational irony takes the seemingly perfect life of Richard Cory and surprises us all once we reach the last line of Robinson’s poem. In fact, this poem seems eerily similar to Robin Williams’ situation. Richard Cory and Robin Williams both appeared to have their lives together; both rich, always smiling and making other happy, and were both held to higher standards. However, much like Richard Cory,…

Richard Cory is a poem published in 1897 by a poet Edwin Arlington Robinson who won three Pulitzer Prize for his work. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times. According to owlcation.com “Richard Cory,” is the story of a man who seems to have it all. The people of the town, who are clearly of a lower financial class, place Richard Cory on a pedestal. The lower class look up to Richard Cory and want to be just like him. The poet’s complex attitude toward Richard Cory is…

Edwin Arlington Robinson described a man that appeared to have it all in the poem, “Richard Cory.” The subject was revered by the town’s people and known as a man of great assets and his satisfactory lifestyle. The poem is ended abruptly when Richard Cory shoots himself in the head, taking his own life. The moral of the story is that money and materialistic things offer some level of security and stability, but not necessarily happiness. Though his outward appearance was polished and he seemed…

In Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem, “Richard Cory,” the main themes are status and wealth do not ensure happiness, and appearances can be deceiving. The poem is about a rich man, named Richard Cory, who appears to have everything. The poor people of the town admire and even envy Richard Cory. However, in reality, Mr. Cory is an extremely unhappy individual, who unexpectedly kills himself. Throughout the poem, Robinson uses symbols, imagery, and irony in order to develop and reinforce the…

Robinson’s “Richard Cory”, as well as Paul Simon’s remake of that poem into a song also titled “Richard Cory”. The poem and the song are essentially about a rich man named Richard Cory, who is admired yet envied by the people of his town. Little do they know that later on, the man will take his own life, even though he was sought out to have the ideal life image. The two works of art are based off of the same story line, but vary in other individual aspects. Each work of art differs in the…

The Poem “Richard Cory” by Edwin Arlington Robinson from 1869 to 1935 uses an admirational and superficial tone, a third person limited point of view, and the main theme to never judge a book by it’s cover to show a complex attitude towards Richard Cory’s suicide. The author uses a formal and superficial tone to describe who Richard Cory was and his importance to the town. A formal tone is portrayed by the author when said “He was a gentleman from sole to crown”. The author uses more…

In his poem, “Richard Cory” Edwin uses irony to show how we are to a man like him. Maintaining the idea that this man had everything going for him and was a well to do man. From the outside, the men working saw this man everyday, gazing at what a man should look like. Charles Burkhart gives criticism that show his contrast and his own ideas and claims about the man. In Richard Cory, author’s creates irony by using imagery, diction, and contrast to show the true description of the man and…

CAMBRIDGE- Glitter and imagery have recently announced that after being used by Edwin Arlington Robinson to describe Richard Cory, they have officially announced poetry war on Cory. Glitter and Imagery have accused Cory of taking away self-esteem and confidence within the lower class in “Richard Cory.” In an interview with Glitter, he was very frustrated and stated, “ that people don’t realize Cory’s true nature. They need to begin to understand how much of a jerk he is!”…