In a society generally shaped by its commercialism, many people will fall into the unfortunate trap of trying to exceed someone else?s standards. The catalyst for this maddening condition exists all around us: in car commercials, on bumper stickers (?He who dies with the most toys wins!?), in stores peddling expensive passing fashions, and on billboards flaunting houses of ridiculous size and cost. Children are conditioned to covet a brass ring that is impossible to attain, and will either spend a lifetime sacrificing personal happiness to conquer a status, or will simply give up rather than face certain failure. No matter what amount of drive and desire one possess, it never fails that there is always someone who has achieved so much more. On the surface they seem to have it all, and in our admiration, we are often riddled with desperate jealousy. Edwin Arlington Robinson exemplified this condition masterfully in his poem Richard Cory.
The speaker of the poem is someone in a low working class, but he is speaking for everyone in his community who seems to be of equal financial stature. They toil away at work that is both dirty and grueling, and at the end of the day there is very little to show for it. They are hungry- not only for food, but also for comfort. Robinson himself lived in poverty, and was almost certainly familiar with the feeling of envy that this character reveals in the poem. But are the poor in fact at the bottom of the emotional heap? Perhaps a closer look into each line of the text will demonstrate that things aren?t always as they seem.
The first stanza of the poem gives the reader a glimpse into what Richard Cory is all about, or at least how he is perceived. In the first two lines we are introduced to the poem?s namesake, Richard Cory, and we know that he is someone that people take notice of. Line three states that ?He was a gentleman from sole to crown,? which tells us that he was a man of good breeding, from top to bottom. Here Robinson uses the word ?crown? for his head, but perhaps this is also as a symbol of royalty; someone who is above the rest. In the fourth line Robinson uses the word ?imperially? to describe his build, once again using a word with royal connotations. We also learn that Richard Cory is clean, leading the reader to believe that he wasn?t bound to the same dirty work that his admirers are slave to.
In the second stanza we become familiar with Richard Cory?s nature. He doesn?t appear to be stressed, tired or hungry. He is a pleasant and admirable man in many ways. The fifth line states that he is ?quietly arrayed,? meaning that he is never dressed in loud or garish garb, but it can also denote his ability to collect himself in public. ?And he was always human when he talked? (6) creates for the reader a man who is real; one who could relate to the people, and didn?t speak down to those he came in contact with. Still, ?he fluttered pulses? (7) when he spoke to people, and we know that both men and women alike felt privileged when he gave them notice on the street.
The third stanza gets down to the basics of Richard Cory?s perceived happiness: he is rich. Robinson continues the theme of royalty that was found in the first stanza when comparing his riches to that of a king. Of course, when a person has that much money, there must be considerable education in his or her background, and Richard Cory is no exception to this rule. The tenth line not only tells the reader that he is ?schooled in every grace,? but also includes the word ?admirably? which could be a clue that his admirers are not as educated, though they yearn to be. The eleventh and twelfth lines sum up the general perception of Mr. Cory: ?In fine, we thought that he was everything/ To make us wish that we were in his place.? This is a wonderful example of how the grass is always greener on he other side of the fence.
The fourth and last quatrain is a final dose of reality, one that must have been perplexing to those who admired Richard Cory. Line thirteen depicts the hard working people of this community going on with work as usual, hoping that one day there will be light at the end of the tunnel. The light is also a symbol for the passageway into heaven, a place to finally rest and achieve the comforts of paradise. The fourteenth line illustrates their hunger for food, and the actuality of the conditions that they must live with while they are dreaming of a life like Richard Cory?s. But alas, Richard Cory, though rich in his pockets, was bankrupt in his soul. While those who were struggling to survive continued to live their lives, he ended his with a bullet in the head. Mr. Cory was not able to attain the life that he desired, thus wasting the one that everyone else wanted to live in so badly.
Robinson paints a portrait of a person, be it man or woman, who wants terribly to reach the true level of success and happiness. His use of symbolism and imagery lends meat that the reader can chew on while contemplating his own relationship to this moralizing poem. But he also poses a question that most people will never even consider: Will we know it when we get there?
Другие работы по теме:
Analysis Of Richard Iii Essay Research Paper
Analysis of Richard III In Richard III, Shakespeare invites us on moral holiday. The early part of the play draws its readers to identify with Richard and thereby to participate in a
Richard The Iii Essay Research Paper Richard
Richard The Iii Essay, Research Paper Richard the III In the play, Richard the III, by William Shakespeare, the character Richard (Duke of Gloucester) is a very manipulative and deceiving person. Richard acts like this in order to fulfill his dream to become King. And since he is at the bottom of a long, long list to be King, he has a lot of people to deceive.
Pronounced Dead Essay Research Paper Pronounced DeadNo
Pronounced Dead Essay, Research Paper Pronounced Dead No pain, no gain is a saying that is persistent in the American Society. It is thought that if you work hard, no matter what circumstances, you can become rich and powerful. You can overcome deep poverty to become the richest man alive. This superhuman absurdity is what is referred to as the “American Dream.” Day after day, Americans struggle to achieve fame and prosperity, only to find failure and heartbreak.
Poetry 3 Essay Research Paper Since the
Poetry 3 Essay, Research Paper Since the dawn of time, human beings have been in a constant struggle to survive. Whether you are a man or women, black or white, rich or poor, the hardships of life have seemed to bind us together in a very cruel world. Many poets write about poverty, envy, and the outcome of war which are just a few of the many battles people fight everyday.
Richard Iii Essay Research Paper Richard IIIIn
Richard Iii Essay, Research Paper Richard III In Richard III, Shakespeare invites us on moral holiday. The early part of the play draws its readres to identify with Richard and thereby to participate in a
Richard Iii Essay Research Paper Richard was
Richard Iii Essay, Research Paper Richard was a bad guy. This was one of his speeches: Was ever woman in this humor wooed? Was ever woman in this humor won? I?ll have her, but I will not keep her long.
Vernon Thaxter Essay Research Paper Vernon Thaxter
Vernon Thaxter Essay, Research Paper Vernon Thaxter is a very confused, yet intelligent man. In the beginning of the story, we become familiar with the character of Vernon due to all the small talk and gossip in Zephyr about the fact that he walks around in his birthday suit, no matter the weather or ocasion.
Kant Goodness Essay Research Paper Kant Goodness
Kant: Goodness Essay, Research Paper Kant: Goodness The philosopher I used is Immanuel Kant. He was very practical in his thinking of goodness. A quote of his was “I ought, therefore I can”. His view
Richard Cory Essay Research Paper The poem
Richard Cory Essay, Research Paper The poem “Richard Cory” by Edwin Arlington Robinson, is a poem that shows that people cannot determine another person s happiness by their appearance. The author
Richard Cory Essay Research Paper In the
Richard Cory Essay, Research Paper In the poem ?Richard Cory? by Edwin Arlington, the theme of the poem is just because a person is rich does not make that person happy. When Richard Cory goes down town every person on the pavement looks at him. Somehow Richard seems to be a gentleman all the time and Richard is always clean and slim.
Richard Cory Essay Research Paper
The Barbie Doll and Richard Cory The way our culture has a tendency to view other individuals by there appearance will probably never change. In some way everyone has it set in his or her mind what makes a person “perfect”. These characteristics include personal appearance, wealth and intelligence. We do not always get the chance to get to know a person, but rather make assumptions.
Richard Cory
– Analysis Essay, Research Paper The narrator in ?Richard Cory? by Edwin Arlington Robinson is a low class working citizen telling the reader, in detail, about a distinguished gentleman named Richard Cory who eventually ?put a bullet through his head.? Almost everyone, including the narrator, would stare at him with awe every time they saw him.
Fences Essay Research Paper Get on your
Fences Essay, Research Paper Get on your mark! Get set! Go! From the moment we are born, we enter the race of life. The race to win, to live victoriously, or to be successful in the race of life. Generally, we can say that success is defined as the accomplishment of something attempted. Therefore, anyone can be successful.
Economics Of Sex Essay Research Paper This
Economics Of Sex Essay, Research Paper This mini-paper is to study how people of different moral standard choose their one-night-stand partners. At a late stage of this paper, I will state the limitations of this theory.
Anitgone 2 Essay Research Paper The Comparison
Anitgone 2 Essay, Research Paper The Comparison Between the Characters And The Chorus Meaning of Traditional Society In the short play Antigone, by Socrates, we find the chorus embodies the static voice of traditional society in many ways. In this play traditional society is following the rules and also obeying King Kreon and his rules.
The Terrible Trins Essay Research Paper What
The Terrible Trins Essay, Research Paper What the book is about: The book is about a mother mouse named Dolly and three baby mice named Thomas, Richard and Henry. Together they try to defeat the cats in the farmhouse where they live. The mice are taught by their mother on what not to get into like mouse traps and poison.
Richard Wright Essay Research Paper In his
Richard Wright Essay, Research Paper In his development of this theme, Richard Wright alludes to several stories from classical Greek mythology, most notably the stories of Oedipus of Thebes. Like Sophocles’ stories of Oedipus, Native Son intertwines the idea of hubris (”excessive pride”) with the idea of blindness.
Maya Angelou 3 Essay Research Paper The
Maya Angelou 3 Essay, Research Paper The readings from “Graduation Day” by: Maya Angelou and “On Becoming A Chicano” by: Richard Rodriguez were different but they the same point across. They were of different cultures, race, and time era, and they both overcame adversity to excel in their schooling.
Richard Cory Essay Research Paper EssayIn the
Richard Cory Essay, Research Paper Essay In the poem, ?Richard Cory?, Robinson describes the character, Richard Cory, as being wealthy, generous, handsome, and courteous. Regardless of his social status,
Who Are We To Judge Essay Research
Paper Who Are We to Judge Anyone? Sometimes it is easy to form an opinion about someone based on what you see from the outside, but by no means is this an effective way of assessing the way someone is inside. Just like you cannot judge a book a book by its cover, you cannot judge a person without getting to know them.
Richard III Essay Research Paper The
Richard III Essay, Research Paper The Cold, Fearful Soliloquy of a Condemned King The night before battle at Bosworth field, Richard’s sleep is disturbed by the ghosts of those he murdered in his scheme to acquire and retain the kingship. The ghosts haunt Richard with prophesies of the justice due him. Startled from sleep, Richard’s shaken soliloquy is delivered fearfully and honestly, testifying his gradation of sins and foreshadowing his inevitable demise.
Richard Cory Essay Research Paper In
Richard Cory Essay, Research Paper In “Richard Cory”, Edwin Arlington Robinson explores the deception of appearances. Richard Cory was a wealthy man, admired and envied by those who
Richard Cory By Edwin Arlington Robinson Essay
?, Research Paper The Use of Death in Poetry Poems reveal many inside thoughts of the speaker that can be interpreted by the reader. Death is expressed quite often in poetic work because of the simplicity to be able to express feelings. Suicide, for an example, is a form of death that may be used in poetry and is usually portrayed in a negative fashion.
Richard Corey Essay Research Paper Money can
Richard Corey Essay, Research Paper Money can t buy happiness and “You can’t judge a book by its cover” are two old adages that echo through time; however, they seem to echo so softly that they are quite often disregarded. For men, in their search for contentment and fulfillment, only see money as the main vehicle.
What Does It Mean To Be Moral
Essay, Research Paper What does it mean to be moral? Our morality is used every day in every situation and decision we make. Morality is very much a part of who you are. To be a person who is moral you know what is right and wrong on your own.
Contrast Of Richard
’s Homes Essay, Research Paper This diorama is a contrast between Richard?s original home, at his grandma?s house, and where he moves to later, with Mr. and Mrs. Moss and their daughter Bess.
Fame Fortune And Celebrities Essay Research Paper
The Cost of Fame and Fortune on Celebrity Figures JENNIFER ANISTON AND BRAD PITT WED PICTURES HERE! Madonna s a MAMA again! TOM AND NICOLE SPLIT WHY? These are just three examples of headlines I have seen across the supermarket tabloids over the past year. In reality, we know that two more people tied the knot, another mom-to-be gave birth, and one more couple unfortunately divorced.
Edwin Arlington Robinson And Edgar Lee Masters
Essay, Research Paper The Realist Poets incorporated the theme of death into their works. Edwin Arlington Robinson and Edgar Lee Masters both wrote about thetheme of death and is clearly shown in their works. Edwin Arlington Robinson wrote ?Richard Cory?. ?And Richard Cory,one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head.? Thisis clearly showing a theme of death because he went home and killed himself.
Analyze The Poem
– Richard Cory Essay, Research Paper Description: Analyze the poem “Richard Cory” and prove themes and ideas with MLA style writing. Why does everyone want to be like someone else? It is human nature to want to be admired and honored. This is not right, though. Each and everyone person should be happy with who they are because just imagine if everyone were perfect and the same.
Black Boy Paper Essay Research Paper Black
Black Boy Paper Essay, Research Paper Black Boy Paper When put into a foreign environment animal s adept, so do humans when they need to learn they ways of life. Richard Wright, due to his surroundings, had to adapt and become independent early in his life. In the book, Black Boy, Richard shows how he progressively became independent in his writings.
Black Boy Analysis Essay Research Paper Black
Black Boy Analysis Essay, Research Paper Black Boy From the early days of Richard s childhood, Richard was always alienated from his environment. Even though he tried to distance himself from the prejudice all around him, the white people still tried to turn him into the stereotypical southern black person.
We Speak No Treason Essay Research Paper
Gloucester: You may partake of any thing we say; We speak no treason, man; we say the King Is wise and virtuous….. Shakespear: Richard III: Act I, Sc I. He was the youngest brother of the King of England. He was the Duke of Gloucester and the Lord of the