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Richard Cory By Edwin Arlington Robinson

Decent Essays

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

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