RICHARD CORY
EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON
INTRODUCTION
RICHARD CORY
Richard Cory’ by Edwin Arlington Robinson is a simple poem
which shows the chasm between perception and reality and warns
the reader never to judge on appearances.
NARRATION: 1st person narration. (we - the people of the
town are the poem's speakers, working-class citizens who has
little materialistic pleasures.)
STRUCTURE: written in four quatrains and iambic pentameter
with a simple ABAB rhyme scheme.
ANALYSIS
ST1: Richard Cory is introduced by the people on the pavement.
People in the pavement suggests the poor life condition of the
speakers. Comparing to them, they see Richard Cory as a royal
figure. He seems to be like an idol or a celebrity to them. The final
two lines of this stanza suggests that he was a morally upright
fellow who carries such a royal grace in his appearance.
TECHNIQUES:
Symbol: crown (king) attributed Richard Cory kingly
characteristics.
Alliteration: Whenever, went
Visual imagery: clean favored and imperially slim.
Use of Past Tense: suggests that this is a past story and Richard
Cory no longer exists.
2
ST2: People on the pavement regularly waits to see his gentle
acquaintance which he produces consistently. They feel a
triumphant-shiver when Richard Cory addresses them which is like
a celebrity or somebody royal comes to them and speaks with
them. The verb ‘glittered’ is ambiguous as it hints at both his
sparkling personality, but in the literal sense, it could be his watch
or other jewelries which glint when they catch the sunlight.
TECHNIQUES:
Anaphora: and he was always (shows his consistency of his good
qualities)
Assonance: fluttered pulses
Visual imagery: glittered (it may be his golden watches and
necklaces that glitter)
Metaphor: he was always human (to attribute of good qualities
that a good human possesses)
ST3: Richard Cory was the role model of the people on the
pavement. For them he was the ultimate goal to reach – both
richness and virtue. However, the final two lines creates doubts in
the reader; by the phrase: ‘we thought he was everything’ It is
hinted that what they thought was not the truth, that he was not
the perfect one.
TECHNIQUES:
Anaphora: and (conversational; shows their excitement when
describing him)
Contrast: richer than a king (exaggerating his wealth)
Alliteration: wish, we were (create a sound effect like sighing)
3
ST4: A common reality is brought through the struggle of the
poor to lead a better life. They follow a role model and try to
strive to be somebody like him, and during the course they do not
value what they actually have - as they always compare things
with what they dream to consume.
To everyone’s surprise, the perfect idol of everyone suicides
himself for an unknown reason. Everyone is left wondering what
on earth could have preempted the suicide from a man who
appeared to have everything, including the respect of the
townspeople.
TECHNIQUES:
Metaphor: light (hope for a better life)
Alliteration: went without (sighing sound)
Euphemism: put a bullet through his head (suicided)
Anaphora: and (shows hesitation)
Symbol: meat and bread (meat for richness or royalty and bread
for poverty or poor life condition)
THEMES
1. FALSE SOCIAL VALUES
• People in society judge people from their appearance,
behaviour and on how they dress and talk
Ex. “Clean favored and imperially slim”
2. Appearances Vs. Reality
Mr.Cory is in his outer appearance and behaviour is a
gentleman and a great personality without any problems.
But, in reality he was suffering from unbearable problems
which lead to suicide
3. Loneliness
4
Today’s materialistic fast moving form of living together with
other have problem like generation gap And the life
expectancy these creates loneliness.
4. Money can’t buy happiness.
People all over the today are highly money oriented they
feel money can give them everything. Their judgement of
people, behaviours , events living and everything is
influenced by wealth but in reality it brings neither
satisfaction nor happiness but cause envy.
• INTERNAL CONFLICT
Dissatisfaction experienced by a man who everybody admired he
is described using the Dissatisfaction experienced by a man who
everybody admired he is described using the finest term such as
“gentleman” “imperially slim” to denote and how lower and
middle class people viewed him.
