Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson
“Richard Cory” written by Edwin Robinson is a dramatic poem about a man whose outward appearance ultimately kills him. Throughout this poem, Edwin wants us to ask ourselves, do high-end clothes and items make us happy? Should we judge people based on their outward appearance? Are rich people always happy with their lives? After reading this poem, I realized that the answers to those questions are no. Materialistic things don 't make us happy. We shouldn’t judge people based on their outward appearance. I read once, “Man is the maker of his character, the molder of his life, and the builder of his destiny. The facade that people put forth can be a deceptive semblance of the soul, an illusion meant to hide their superficial nature.” It turns out that underneath his good looks and wealth, Richard Cory was an unhappy man. Even though it appeared he had everything in one part, he had nothing in another part. This poem proves that wealth, good looks and material things can’t guarantee someone’s happiness. A cliche line is you can’t judge a book by its cover, which is undeniably true. It sounds silly and childish but as an adult it is a statement that should ring true for everyone. Richard Cory was the richest, most attractive man in the town, but he had problems that no one seemed to realize. The town classified him as a “gentleman from sole to crown”( 3), “richer than a king”( 9), and “clean favored and imperially slim”( 4). The town
The speaker of the poem recounts that Richard Cory was a “gentleman from sole to crown, clean favored, and imperially slim” and that he was “richer than a king”. The words “crown”, “imperially”, and “king” hints that people viewed Richard Cory as a man of high status and royalty. Even though he was a man who was unlike any other, “he was always human when
Richard Cory and Miniver Cheevy, both are shunned from society neither having any real friends. Richard Cory is admired by his peers, whereas, Miniver Cheevy is different; people did not look up on him. One man giving the impression to have everything takes his own life, while the other had nothing accepts his misery. For Richard Cory, the saying money cannot buy happiness, could not be more appropriate. He is, according to the people of the town, the man with everything. “Whenever Richard Cory went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him: He was a gentleman from sole to crown, Clean favored, and imperially slim.
	In Richard Cory we stumble upon a different outlook of people in society. Some feel that the glamour and wealth of a person determines how happy with life they are. This is not always true. Just because a person has the money to flaunt does not mean that they are happy. This can be compared to how people look up to actors, actresses and other famous people. Some look at these people with such admiration and why? They seem to have not one worry in the world. Does money, looks, or any other materialistic thing make a person really happy? Not many people stop to think that these people are normal as the average Joe. They
In the novel Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning there contains a thesis in which the novel is centered around. This thesis is the theory that these ordinary people could commit these atrocities in the Holocaust because of the pressure from their peers and country that were participating in these appalling acts of violence and massacres of innocent people.
The purpose of history is to understand the past so that we can take wisdom from those experiences and improve the present and the future. The events that occurred during the Final Solution are so horrendous that often it is viewed as so repugnant that we label the people involved as purely evil, they are dehumanized. This is dangerous, as it doesn’t allow us to obtain wisdom, perspective, and empathy for those involved. Ordinary Men allows an opportunity to see these events from the eyes of the perpetrators and their journey that led to what seems to people today as ruthless, unscrupulous murder. When in fact these people were literally ordinary men who were introduced to unordinary circumstances which caused them to abandon their humanity. If we discredit these people as inhuman we fail to learn the lessons of human nature so we can avoid them in the future. Winston Churchill embodies the lessons learned from Ordinary Men as he said “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
He was a kind man who treated everybody with respect. Cory had looks that everybody adored, and was an excellent gentleman. He also had great wealth. “And he was rich—yes, richer than a king” (Robinson, line 9). He had everything that all of the people wanted.
While reading the poems “Richard Cory” and “Ezra Farmer”, it is almost immediately evident which poem is an original and which is a parody. Both poems are clearly about men that are popular among those he meets, but once the reader looks beneath the surface, they notice how the diction plays an important role in relaying the theme to the audience it is presented to. In the poem “Richard Cory” written by Edwin Arlington Robinson, the theme being portrayed is that people are not always as how they seem.
In 1897, Edwin Arlington Robinson composed the poem Richard Cory. The important message of the poem was beneficial to readers centuries ago and is equally as valuable today. Robinson does a great job of utilizing various literary devices to convey this knowledge and enhance the pleasure of the reading. The superficial appearance of an individual does not define their reality.
In the book Revolutionary Characters by Gordan Wood, the degree in which he portrays the personality and personal philosophies that informed the politics of these early American leaders, especially Thomas Jefferson, shows that contrary to popular belief that these men were not some unflawed perfect beings, but they are just like us with their many fears and insecurities. These flaws appear in all of the founding fathers and this adds a level of realism to them. It also shows that flaws are a part of human nature.
Robinson gives a physical description of Richard Cory as "Clean favored, and imperially slim." While this seems to be physical, many symbolic issues of wealth are expressed through this line. Cory is once again given a description of royalty by being called "imperially slim" and by also being "clean favored" he seems he may be above all else or at least that aura was personified. In Simon's poem, rather than royal traits, Cory is given characteristics of being "everything a man could want: power, grace, and style." These traits move from a regal standpoint, to one usually associated with famous, sophisticated people. This repositioning of the American Dream is apparent after evaluating the way wealth transformed the way the public viewed Richard Cory.
The poem “Richard Cory” is a description and story of a man named Richard Cory, of course. The speaker of the poem is an impoverished, blue-collar
John Collier’s ‘The Chaser’, a short story that follows Alan Austen, a character who shows typically feminine or androgynous traits, displaying Alan being timid, easily manipulated, cowardly, and inevitably, the harbinger of his own destruction. ‘The Chaser’ features Alan seeking out an old man for a love potion to make Diana fall in love with him. From a sophisticated gender perspective, ‘the Chaser’ is shown to be patriarchal to start, with androgynous areas that end with the story being heavily androgynous. Based on text in the story and underlying themes, ‘The Chaser’ is Feminine and Androgynous, and Austen displays Feminine androgynous traits heavily by the end of the story.
For Richard Cory, the saying money can’t buy happiness, could not be more appropriate. He is, according to the people of the town, the man with everything. Everyone wished they could be more like him, “he had everything to make us
Someone may judge a book by its cover, but they don’t know the true meaning until they flip through the pages. The common misconception of Richard Cory was that he had the perfect life, along with fame, fortune, and good looks, but beneath it all, existed a troubled soul and psychological mindset that no one was able to uncover until it was too late. In the story Richard Cory, by Edwin Robinson, the idea of society and one's own mindset misinterpreting a situation is expanded upon in this reference to the outside appearances of Richard Cory because of how they assumed he had the perfect life but actually was suicidal. People always instantly judge by their first impression because that is what has become a norm for society.