The poem, Richard Cory

Richard Cory's poem is an ironic poem in which rich people are depicted as dissatisfied with their lives, which is counter to what is predicted, particularly by the poor, who think that wealth inevitably ensures happiness. The poem is centered on Richard Cory, who is portrayed as a prosperous merchant who is still everyone's fantasy and ideal. Despite his wealth, he is unhappy and eventually commits suicide for no particular cause.

The key theme of the poem is "appearances can be deceiving"; in the poem, Richard seems both relaxed and happy to the townspeople because of his riches. However, looks can be deceiving since on the contrary Richard is not happy and ends up committing suicide (Robinson). Another theme in the poem is wealth. Richard Cory is depicted as a person who was highly advantaged and had been groomed as a privileged man. Richard Cory’s wealth also sets him apart from other individuals in the town. Although Richard Cory does not reside in the town, when he visits, he attracts the townsmen’s attention due to his lavish dressing. The theme of separation or rather alienation is also evident, in the poem, the narrator acts as a representative of individuals on the pavement who are from a different social class as Richards.

Setting

As the poem begins, Robinson uses downtown as the primary setting. Downtown is one of the places where Richard Cory’s spends most of his time. Using the setting Robinson brings the idea that Cory is not only a happy man but he is also greatly admired by many. The poem talks about Richard Cory walking downtown and seems not to have problems. People working in downtown particularly on the pavement share the belief that Richard Cory’s life is perfect and he is happy as he seems not to have any problems. Another settling applied in the poem is the “calm summer night” (Robinson). In this setting all seems peaceful; however, in reality, all is not well as Richard is contemplating on suicide and ends up killing himself.

Symbolism

One of the prevalently used literary devices is symbolism. To begin with, Richard Cory’s name itself is a symbol; the name possesses the name “Rich” which is also repeatedly used throughout the poems such as in line 9 where it states, "And he was rich—yes, richer than a king" (Robinson). Therefore, his name is used as a symbol of his status. Another symbol is Richard’s body which is applied as a symbol of affluence. In the poem, he is described as “imperially” slim which indicates that Richard is not a man that engages in physical labor to earn a living. In fact, according to the poem, Richard inherited a lot of wealth from his father, and as a result, he does not need to work. Therefore, Richard’s body type acts as a class indicator, which suggests that he is not only affluent but also very comfortable in his affluence.

Conclusively, another symbol used in the poem is Richard’s manners which portray privilege. According to the poem, Richard was “Schooled in every Grace,” which illustrates that he acquired necessary education or rather lessons in manner and deportment which in, turn, sets him apart from other townsmen (Robinson). The town’s geography also symbolically portrays Richard Cory’s separation from the townsmen; hence, alienation.

Work Cited

Robinson, E. A. “Richard Cory”. Poetry Foundation, (n.d.). https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44982/richard-cory