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Richard
Cory
1.
When Richard Cory went to town
2.
The people on the pavement (the poor and the narrator) looked at him
3.
He was a gentlemen inside in out
4.
He’s is well dressed and is royal looking
5.
Richard Cory was quiet about how well he was dressed
6.
He talked like everyone else; he did not talk down to the poor
7.
He surprised people in a good way when he said
8.
Good morning and he shined when he walked
9.
He was richer than a king
10.
He was schooled very well in all areas
11.
The people on the pavement thought that Cory was almighty
12.
To make them wish that they were him
13.
They kept working, looking for opportunity
14.
They go on without meat, but with bread
15.
Richard Cory, on a calm summer night
16. He went home and shot him self in the head
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When I read “Richard Cory”, it made me think of numerous instances
that can be related to Mr. Cory’s tragedy. America’s celebrities perform
anywhere from a basketball court, to a football field, and on the set of a
movie.
When
I see these people perform, I often think how cool it would be to sign
autographs and be on TV every time I turned it on. Other times I feel sorry for
them that they have no sense of a personal life due to all of the people who are
out to get them. In “Richard Cory” Mr. Cory appears to be an extremely
wealthy and humble man who has a heart of gold. Unfortunately, like various
super-stars, Richard Cory commits suicide.
The incident where Michael Vick, a promising NFL quarterback, is convicted on dog-fighting charges is a situation where he threw out all of his talent and career ambitions for dog-fighting, a senseless crime. Knowing someone who was around Vick his college career, this person told me about all of the good things that Michael has done has been overlooked because of a series of bad decisions. The news surprised a large number of people, because many kids looked up to Vick, the same way that the narrator looked upon Richard Cory.
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Edwin Arlington Robinson’s point in this story was that Richard Cory was not what he appeared to be and that he may have not as content with his life as the “people on the pavement” (2) thought. He was a man of wealth, was respected, and had great importance; this description of Cory goes to show you that money cannot buy happiness.
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4.
Literary or Other Art Associations
There are many characters and stories that I thought of when I read “Richard Cory”. The character that reminds me of Cory is King Midas. One day King Midas found a man sleeping in his flowers, and being the nice man that he is (like Corry (3)), let the man go without punishment. Word had gotten around to Dionysus, a god, of this news. Dionysus granted Midas’ wish of having the “golden touch”, which later came back to haunt him because his daughter is turned into gold. Showing sympathy towards Midas, Dionysus reverses Midas’ wish and instantly Midas is poor in his money, but rich in feeling better than he had ever before (without his money). I personally believe that money was the main factor in Richard Cory’s Death, for it was money that made him unhappy.
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5
+ 6. Figurative Language Judgment
Edwin Arlington Robinson meant for this poem to be up-beat and very
comprehendible. He used many adjectives to describe Mr. Cory and his actions to
paint a scene in which the reader would be caught off-guard in the last stanza.
Richard
Cory is described as being “richer than a king” (9), “a gentleman from
sole to crown”(3), and “schooled in every grace” (10). Irony is shown in
line 12 when the narrator expresses his desire to be in Cory’s place. This is
ironic because in the next stanza Richard Cory commits suicide. The first four
letters of his name spell out the word “rich”, which is ironic because he is
rich. The Rhyme in this poem makes it more enjoyable to read and understand for
the reader. This poem was made into a hit song by Simon and Garfunkel, also
called “Richard Cory”.
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7.
Connection to Literary Period or Author’s Life
The connection to Edwin Arlington Robinson’s is one to his brother.
Growing up, Robinson had a very rough childhood. His family was full of
alcoholics, while he went on to Harvard to attend college. His brother
Herman’s death was thought to be of alcohol. A number of Robinson’s poems
written early in his career refer to the good life and how people diminish their
chances at it. Like Herman Robinson, Richard Cory took his life by a means of
stupidity in the form of suicide. Seeing his brother fail in life motivated
Edwin to be the poet that he became and helped him keep a level head.
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“Richard Cory” is famous for having one major shift: from life to
death.
The
first 12 lines of the poem build up Richard Cory to be like royalty or like the
stereotypical wealthy gentleman. The mood of the story completely changes in the
last two lines of the story when Cory commits suicide. In line 7, the only
non-rhyming word in the poem is found, catching the reader’s attention.
Robinson uses eye rhyme to attract the reader for Richard Cory’s only lines of
the whole poem which are, “Good Morning!”(8). In lines fifteen and sixteen,
there is a shift in setting where it goes from a “calm summer night” (15),
to Richard Cory’s home where he kills himself. In 16 lines lies the Story of
Richard Cory.
