Topic > The Poem "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson

IndexRichard Corey: Analysis of Main PointsFinal ThoughtsWorks Cited:The poem "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson tells readers about the social class gap between people and that appearances on the outside they are not always what they seem. In other words, what you see on the outside may simply be different from what you see on the inside; Don't judge a book by its cover. The story itself is about a rich man who commits suicide and is told from the point of view of a third person, a citizen of the city who observes his daily life. The main points of this poem are the circumstances of the speaker, the language he uses, the condition of Richard Cory, and the irony of the story. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayRichard Corey: Main Point AnalysisThe speaker of this poem appears to be someone from a lower class, as “We people on the sidewalk looked at him” (Robinson 2), and apparently the speaker also has a job that requires them to be dirty, as shown, “Clean favored” (Robinson 4) implies “So we worked on and waited for the light,” “And we gave up the flesh and cursed the bread” (Robinson). 17-18), reveal that the speaker is also a hard worker and does a very tiring job. Even so, they cannot afford to buy decent meat and bread for their meal. Since the speaker uses the point of view of a third person , this means that most people agree with his opinion and it is not his only thought In this poem, the speaker uses everyday language which is easy to understand, even if there are some strange words, like “admirably educated” (Robinson 10) When someone is very rich, it is normal for them to go to school and/or receive some kind of education. However, the word “admirably” (Robinson 10) implies that the speaker was not an educated person, and therefore it was quite admirable to them that someone could go to school. The phrase “waited for the light” (Robinson 13). rather than simply light meaning time to work, apparently the light in this phrase is used to indicate hope. The first, second, and third stanzas tell readers about Richard Cory, or at least who he is from an outsider's perspective. Those lines clearly state that Richard Cory is a rich man, and the speaker even goes as far as comparing him to the king (Robinson 9). He is also a polite man who never treats other people differently despite social status. Cory is also someone who dresses well and is able to place himself in public and never show off his wealth. Aside from outward appearances, Robinson never gave any clues about Cory's personality and never gave readers insight into Cory's personal life. Like his relationship with his family or even with his lovers, if he had any. People seem to admire him deeply and are actually quite envious of him and wish they were in his place (Robinson 12). Despite all this, Cory ends up committing suicide (Robinson 16). The irony is that Cory has everything a man could ask for, but apparently all of this makes him an outcast to the people of the town. People seem to really admire him to such a degree that they think of him as someone who is far above them and think of themselves as someone who is not worthy of his attention. “But his pulse was still beating when he said, “Good morning”” (Robinson 7-8) clearly states that people feel really privileged when he simply greets them on the street, even the sight of him walking is special to them” and he shone when he walked” (Robinson 8). It's almost as if the people in town don't think of him as a human being).