Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson

             The popular expression, "never judge a book by its cover" is the lesson that has been well illustrated in Edwin Arlington Robinson's "Richard Cory." Richard Cory, a wealthy man, admired and envied by those who consider themselves less fortunate than he, unexpectedly commits suicide. Cory's portrait is drawn for us by the author, who depicts him as "imperially slim," "a gentleman from sole to crown," "richer than a king." An individual set apart from ordinary mortals, Cory is, in their opinion, a regal figure in contrast to his admiring subjects, "the people on the pavement." The contrast between Cory and the people, seemingly weighted in favor of Cory in the first three stanzas, is the key to the poem. Robinson tells the story with a light-hearted tone as if he was there watching and admiring Richard Cory. He begins with,
             "Whenever Richard Cory went to town,
             We people on the pavement looked at him:
             He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
             Clean favored, and imperially slim" (lines 1-4).
             Robinson's describing Richard Cory as being "imperially slim" could suggest that not only was Richard Cory thin in appearance but also thin both mentally and emotionally. In lines two and three Robinson continues to describe Richard Cory. Without even reading the rest of the poem one could already have a rather vivid image of what the character looks like. In the second stanza, Robinson continues to describe Richard Cory by saying, "...He was always quietly arrayed, And he was always human when he talked" (line 5-6).
             At this point, the reader would now be aware that not only was Richard Corey handsome but he was nice and also well mannered. "And he was always human when he talked," suggests that Richard Cory was not the flawless god that everyone thought he was; he was just an average man who spoke just as they did.
             Still maintaining his A-B-A-B rhyme scheme, Robinson begins to express the people's admiration for Richard Cory in the third...

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Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 17:46, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/18629.html