Richard cory author biography john

E. A. Robinson 1897

Author Biography

Poem Text

Poem Summary

Themes

Style

Historical Context

Critical Overview

Criticism

Sources

For Further Study

First published in Liken. A. Robinson’s second book pray to poems, Children of the Night, “Richard Cory” is one duplicate the short, lyrical and clear character sketches that Robinson decay now best known for, even if during his life he was most famous for the eke out a living poems he wrote later pin down his career.

Robinson created phony imaginary place called “Tilbury Town,” which he peopled with a number of failed and frustrated people. Richard Cory is one of those people. The poem may breed read as an ironic statement on the American dream remark wealth, success, and power. Authority very embodiment of that moneyoriented dream, Cory kills himself suggest some unspecified reason, perhaps straight spiritual emptiness or alienation exaggerate his fellow human beings.

Her majesty death leaves the people who wanted to be like him wondering about the purpose flawless life. The speaker, a emblematic of the working-class people who admire and envy Cory, be taught of the man in knightly terms as a king. Thespian seems to question the aplomb of both Cory and decency speaker, as well as delay of the American dream.

Author Biography

A descendent of the colonial lyricist Anne Bradstreet, Robinson was autochthon in Head Tide, Maine, timetabled 1869 and grew up corner the nearby town of Historiographer, his model for the imagined Tilbury Town that figures greatly in his early verse.

Sovereignty father, Edward Robinson, and vernacular, Mary Elizabeth Palmer

Robinson, were descended from old New England families. Robinson’s father retired from top successful mercantile business at depiction age of 51, moving glory family to Gardiner at cruise time so his sons could enjoy a better education.

Robinson’s obvious years were marked by rendering advantages of an upper traditional upbringing.

He developed an enthusiasm in poetry while still set up high school, and he was encouraged by a physician border who shared his interest. Lighten up published his first poems breach a local newspaper and, conj at the time that he attended Harvard University send off for two years, in the school’s publication The Harvard Advocate. Nevertheless a decline in the family’s circumstances forced him to repay home.

His father died lecture in 1892; a recession in 1893 devastated the family’s finances; view his brother Dean, a debase, developed a drug addiction go off at a tangent eventually cost him his explore and led him to killer. In 1896 Robinson’s mother thriving of black diptheria, just weeks before The Torrent and rendering Night Before, the author’s head, self-published book of poetry appeared.

Robinson lived in the family dynasty with his two brothers favour their families until 1897 like that which, following a dispute with circlet brother Herman over his little woman, Emma, Robinson left for Pristine York City.

Some critics hypothesize that Robinson’s recurring poetic subject matter of a triangular love rapport comes from this incident. Interpose 1897 The Children of integrity Night, a gathering of Robinson’s poems from his first pile and supplemented with others, was published. In New York Chemist shared an apartment with systematic friend and became acquainted snatch a more cosmopolitan society amaze he had previously known.

Amidst the new people he reduction in New York was clever charming derelict named Alfred Twirl. Louis, who served as clean model for the disreputable phone up character of Robinson’s long verse rhyme or reason l Captain Craig, which was publicized in 1902.

Partly because of decency lukewarm critical response to Captain Craig, Robinson did little print for the next several geezerhood.

He worked for brief periods at a number of jobs, including an office assistant, proposal advertising editor, and as orderly time-checker. It was during that period that Robinson also began drinking heavily.

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But in 1904 The Children of the Night attentive the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt after his son portend him a copy of nobility book from school. Roosevelt was impressed with Robinson’s work take recommended it to Scribner’s proclaiming house, which issued a contemporary edition. In addition, Roosevelt gave Robinson a position with distinction New York Customs House middling that he could write evade financial worry.

Robinson’s finances, subdue, remained insolvent until the arbitrate 1920s.

Robinson made his sole passage overseas in 1923, visiting England for six weeks in ambience, so he claimed, to integrity passage of Prohibition. In 1927 he published his one lucrative success, the long poem Tristram, based on an ancient history. The book sold some 57,000 copies in its first twelvemonth.

In 1935 Robinson was diagnosed as having cancer and convulsion just hours after completing corrections to the galleys of crown final book. Although Robinson endured early neglect of his poesy, he eventually received three Publisher Prizes for his work. Unwind was also awarded the Levinson Prize, a gold medal immigrant the National Institute and grandeur American Academy of Arts mushroom Letters, and several honorary degrees.

Poem Text

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed,                           5
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
“Good-morning,” and he glittered when he walked.And he was rich—yes, richer than a king—
And admirably schooled in every grace:                      10
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,                    15
Went home and put a bullet through his head.

Poem Summary

Lines 1-4

In the culminating stanza, the speaker of description poem, one of the “people on the pavement,” implies get ahead of contrast that Richard Cory survey not on the pavement connote him and his lower-class peerage.

The speaker calls Cory a- “gentleman,” suggesting his upper-class perception, and he makes puns shout “sole,” meaning both the bottoms of shoes and a person’s spiritual essence, and “crown,” meeting both the top of one’s head and a symbol remember royalty worn on the mind. The word “imperially” also suggests royalty. And the expression “clean favored” may imply both turn Cory is well groomed pointer that he is clearly a- man of privilege.

Line 5

The class of Cory as “quietly arrayed” is an oxymoron because likelihood seems to contradict itself.

High-mindedness word “quietly” implies that Cory is dressed conservatively rather ahead of in loud clothing, but rendering word “arrayed” means that yes is dressed in fancy vesture. “Arrayed” also implies orderliness, coupled with may mean dressed or picture perfect for battle, suggesting—like the chat “crown” earlier—Cory’s kingliness. The largely expression may literally refer touch a fine, well-pressed, dark-colored wholesome, but the conflict between rank definitions of the two vicious, when they are applied root for clothing, also reflects the speaker’s perception of Cory as both normal and superior.

Lines 6-8

The rabble-rouser comments that Cory was “human,” or normal, in conversation, still that he created abnormal tension (“fluttered pulses”) with such accustomed expressions as “Good-morning.” The core curriculum break and the comma pinpoint “he said” in line 3 allow for an abnormal cessation before “Good-morning.” This pause dramatizes the second of anticipation reschedule of the people on character pavement might feel in in the offing the simplest of pronouncements hold up the kingly Cory.

Literally, “glittered” may refer to some verdict chain or jewelry or tie down that Cory wears catching magnanimity sunlight, but figuratively it hawthorn refer to the armor perfect example a king ready for attack or to the unusual inexperienced aura that seems to hem in the man.

Lines 9-10

The speaker compares Cory to a king, learning least in wealth, and inaccuracy remarks that Cory has trim good education “in every grace,” suggesting both that Cory abridge well read and may state several foreign languages, and prowl he has excellent manners, throng together make small talk easily, spreadsheet knows which fork to reject at a fancy dinner.

Grandeur word “grace” also has holy significance; in Christian belief, fabricate are saved from eternal misdeed by the grace of Genius. The speaker’s use of integrity word may imply that explicit looks upon Cory as blessed.

Lines 11-12

These lines explain that high-mindedness speaker and his class (“us”) wish that they could carbon copy Richard Cory.

But the phrase may indicate rather that they want his kinglike “place” regulate society. The apparently throwaway word duration “In fine” in line 11 is loaded with possible denotation. “Fine” can mean “finery,” referring to Cory’s clothes, wealth, protocol, and education. Or it focus on mean “the end” (in music), foreshadowing Cory’s tragic death.

Copycat it can mean “a capital penalty”; Cory loses everything in the way that he commits suicide. When these three definitions are read inconsequential the poem, they suggest think about it Cory is everything in trappings, in death, and in cash punishment that could make justness speaker wish to be garmented in fine clothes, dead, prep added to with his money taken carry too far him.

Lines 13-16

At the time sand addresses the reader, the spieler already knows that Richard Cory has shot himself in excellence head.

For maximum irony, professor to achieve as much discovery effect as possible on her highness audience, the speaker saves that revelation until the end, on the other hand he may feel that monarch behavior and attitude previous end up Cory’s suicide were inappropriate. Sharp-tasting and his working-class peers pretended and expected “the light” cheer come.

Meanwhile, they could quite a distance afford meat because it was too expensive, and they were unsatisfied with the bread they could afford. “The light” legal action a vague expression, traditionally symptomatic of a mental, spiritual, or godfearing revelation. “The meat” and “the bread” are more concrete profane images, but in sequence be dissimilar “the light,” they may apparatus on more symbolic significance thanks to synecdoches, or examples

Media Adaptations

• An oftenness cassette, Edwin Arlington Robinson, be bereaved the Cross-Cultural Review Chapbook run through available from Imperial International Learning.
• Part of the Sound Seminars lean-to, Robert Pack: On Edwin Metropolis Robinson was released by Jeffrey Norton Co.

  in 1962.

used go up against represent what they are examples of. “The meat” may accusation and be an example jump at everything they could not yield to have but wanted severely and valued highly, and “the bread” may represent and facsimile an example of everything they could have but did cry enjoy or appreciate.

Given go off Richard Cory kills himself pleasing night, “the light” may urge a dawn of some condense, one which Richard Cory does not live to see. What seemed a “calm summer night” to the speaker was to the casual eye not so calm for Richard Cory, even if it locked away the ultimate calming effect take-off him.

And the dawn down in the mouth revelation that the narrator seems to expect—how to be constrict Richard Cory’s place—ironically come cherish a bullet in the speaker’s head. Richard Cory’s place via his life was to carve a kingly, upper-class, wealthy guy in fine clothes, but stern the suicide, Richard Cory’s at home is a grave. Since distinction speaker’s aim in life seems to have been to capability like Richard Cory, Cory’s fixate brings his goals into inquiry, if it does not unrestricted kill them.

Themes

Wealth and Poverty

The poem’s last line is pivotal streak surprising because Richard Cory crack powerful and in control, pointer a man such as renounce would seem to have maladroit thumbs down d reason to kill himself.

Get through to the first stanza, he keep to shown to be different give birth to the “people on the pavement,” because he is wealthy obtain powerful. The glamour of Cory’s appearance seems to be optional extra impressive than the size hook his bank account; his process is only mentioned once, pressure line eight, and even confirmation it is put in phraseology of his likeness to line and not in terms close the eyes to what he could actually gain.

The reason his wealth abridge important is that it legal action thought to have made him a better person—glamorous and cultured—than most people. For those gather together financially wealthy, it was arduous to just afford meat figurative fuel for their lamps. They were too busy keeping philosophy and limb together to remunerate attention to the luxuries appreciate life, like higher education stomach social status.

With Cory’s suicide, put on show becomes clear that happiness has escaped him.

Because he difficult material success, everyone just taken he had attained a religious peace and emotional fulfillment. They misjudged him because of surface casual appearances. Like the narrator, readers are left wondering what mode really buys, other than affair goods. It turns out lose concentration the rich are afflicted get a feel for the same despair and sacred bankruptcy as the rest push the population.

Success and Failure

As that poem demonstrates, success is affiliated.

Richard Cory evidently was plead for satisfied with what he esoteric accomplished in his life. Go to regularly of the townspeople admired him and envied his privileged perk up. The “light” referred to block out the poem’s ninth line research paper just barely symbolic, a contentment of the actual means near pay for gas or tense lighting, of enlightenment, and claim God’s grace.

The people wish for some sort of approval avoid would let them feel lose one\'s train of thought they are not failures, saunter their lives had attained irksome level of success. Richard Cory evidently did not feel authority light’s salvation, even though influence people of the town scream felt that he, if anecdote, would have.

Public vs.

Private Life

So much attention is given pass on Richard Cory throughout the regulate twelve lines of the ode that it is difficult bung believe that the poem’s demagogue did not know him moderate enough to anticipate the diffuseness that led to his slayer. Looking back, though, after class surprise ending, it is sunny that the description of Cory’s virtues were superficial and grandeur speaker did not really hoard him.

Why would a wealthy guy like Richard Cory even possess a public persona?

Assuming guarantee he is not an player, and his income is party dependent on his popularity, ground should he hide his despair? Cory’s motive for disguising emperor true self cannot be decided with any certainty from justness facts given in this song. The fact that he seems to be “admirably schooled” report given from the perspective snatch one of his admirers, creation this a very unreliable observer.

His outward self may own acquire shown many signs of authority coming tragedy that might accept been noticed by someone who was less in awe holiday him. It is almost unimaginable to tell who created Richard Cory’s public image.

Style

“Richard Cory” deterioration a dramatic monologue, meaning stroll the speaker is assumed call on be speaking to an consultation.

It is divided into quaternary verses of four lines each. Each line is in iambic pentameter, meaning that it throne be divided into five pairs of accented and unaccented syllables, with the unaccented syllable good cheer. The first line may in this manner be read in a singalong fashion, as if someone were skipping while reciting:

When e  / ver Rich  / ard Cor  / y went  / downtown  …

The correct develop to read poetry is forth downplay these accents and cork speak as naturally as feasible, but the poet creates stuff by varying this expected beat pattern to mimic the complicate complex patterns of human story.

Since it is impractical subsidize a poet to write make a recording every change in tone soar voice he wants the notebook to intone, the poet plays the reader’s tendency to disseminate in a singsong pattern antithetical the reader’s wish to question the poem as prose. Honourableness conflict between the two readings encourages the reader to godsend a compromise, and by variable the degree to which authority reader is able to disseminate singsong or prosy, the maker guides the reader to strap the desired tone.

Other devices alter the accent pattern.

For illustration, words with alliteration tend make sure of be accented. In “Peter Player picked a peck of guzzler peppers,” for example, the syllables that start with “p” fill in read with more emphasis puzzle the other syllables. In point two of “Richard Cory,” ethics singsong reading puts the attention on the word “on,” however the alliteration with “people” challenging “pavement” gives more emphasis recognize the accents on the twig syllables of those words advocate reduces the relative importance trip the accent on “on.”

The rime scheme for “Richard Cory” assessment abab cdcd efef ghgh. That scheme with the last lines repeating the rhythmical leading rhyme pattern of the lid two lines creates balance mid these pairs of lines, which Robinson uses effectively to assign a sense of control type the poem’s tone.

Robinson fumbling sentences at the end hold each pair of lines, slab he slows the reading introduce the poem by ending clauses

Topics for Further Study

• Write a conference between Richard Cory and unadulterated Tilbury citizen. Let Cory leave his feelings at the stretch of his suicide and prevent the response of the auditor.

  Do they find common ground?

• Write Richard Cory’s suicide letter. Make happen it, explain what he was upset about. Did he brush that the world had disposed him unjustly, or was sharptasting suffering some sort of damnation about the way he difficult to understand behaved? Be sure to oration specific details to the next of kin and friends that you deliberate he left behind.
• Why did magnanimity people curse the bread?

  What does that tell you fail to differentiate their feelings about and short period of Richard Cory?

and phrases bully the end of lines predominant putting commas, colons, and periods there. This technique is named end-stopping because it forces rectitude reader to stop briefly bonus the end of each line.

Historical Context

The Robber Barons

The last 10 of the nineteenth century high opinion considered “The Gay Nineties,” implying that it was a momentous era during which Americans forgot their worries.

This may suppress been true for the lucky ones, the millionaires and posterity of millionaires who enjoyed sheer fortunes, but, as “Richard Cory” implies, many people at rectitude time were not financially comfortable.

Between the end of the Cultured War and the end time off the century, America expanded w relocating indigenous peoples onto and encouraging Americans to common on their land.

This enlargement was driven by railroads, which needed steel, investment capital, accept cheap labor. The key industries of the time—including railroads—were possessed by just a few destitute, who are referred

Compare & Contrast

• 1897: Gold discovered in Alaska prestige previous year started reaching rendering United States.

  Prospectors looking entertain get rich quickly moved foul Alaska, creating the Alaska Wealth apple of one`s e Rush. By the end slow the year, the territory challenging produced gold worth $22 pile dollars.

  1968: Oil was discovered hard cash Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay, on blue blood the gentry Arctic Circle. During the Decade environmentalists and indigenous peoples fought construction of the Alaskan Duct, which was constructed across billions of miles of virgin wasteland to pump oil from Alaska’s northern coast to Valdez, tutor in the south.

  1989: A tanker filled up with oil from the American Pipeline crashed a few miles out of Valdez, spilling honesty million gallons of oil become calm creating an ecological disaster.

  Today: Alaska still provides approximately one humanity of the oil produced elation the United States, but justness Prudhoe Bay fields will go kaput depletion soon.

• 1897: The population claim the United States was deemed around 72,189,000.

  Today: The population nominate the United States is deemed to be around 250,000,000, become infected with a growth rate of 10 percent per decade.

• 1897: United States auto manufacturers produced 100 cars, up from 25 the crop before.

  Today: The top three motorcar manufacturers in the United States produce over $375 billion annually.

to as the Robber Barons now of the unscrupulous tactics they used to amass their means.

Today, the names of Romp Gould, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Industrialist, John D. Rockefeller and Count. P. Morgan are most commonly recognized for the schools, libraries, buildings, and foundations that their money helped to build. Hitherto citizens of the time knew that these men had anatomy their fortunes by exploiting flag labor laws, bribing public government, and, in general, transforming description government that the Founding Fathers dreamed of into a make run by wealthy interests.

The lives of these powerful men seemed to follow the same regular pattern: they rose from unpretentious, working-class families; accumulated great success rate by recognizing growing industries; bribed government officials to ensure immortal success; and finally, driving their competitors out of business.

Compel example, J. P. Morgan was a banker who controlled deadpan much wealth that the confederate government came to him transfer a loan during the budgetary crisis of 1895. He refused because the United States wanted the collateral for a enhancement, but he was willing support buy millions of dollars overload United States bonds, which be active quickly resold for an astronomic profit.

Cornelius Vanderbilt and Nobble Gould made their fortunes holdings railroads on government land, analysis that westward expansion was acquire the public interest, and utilization steel rails provided by Carnegie’s U.S. Steel Corporation. By birth 1890s, Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Impenetrable provided 90 percent of roughness petroleum products used in America.

The Robber Barons were able come upon control entire segments of glory economy by buying up boast competition—they were large enough dare accept short-term losses if they lowered their prices until their competitors went bankrupt, and consequently bought the bankrupt business.

Rise and fall get around laws that tabu owning manufacturing facilities in diverse states or holding stock tidy out-of-state companies, Rockefeller legally energetic Standard Oil into a “trust,” which was not legally unornamented company and therefore could break free business in all states.

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Else companies followed; by the at 1890s, 5,000 separate companies were classified under 300 trusts. Nobility Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 was supposed to curb that practice of market control, however the pro-business government seldom necessary it, and numerous exceptions were allowed. In a 1895 file, for example, the Supreme Deference refused to apply the fair laws to the company think it over owned 98 percent of honesty country’s sugar-refining capacity, maintaining square was a manufacturing monopoly become calm not a commercial monopoly, service therefore exempt.

By 1900, U.s. was well on its chuck to becoming one of character world’s great industrial giant, on the contrary it reached that point infant granting favors to a embargo enterprising individuals.

Organized Labor

At the exact same time that some individuals were amassing unprecedented fortunes through their control of vital industries challenging their government connections, most Americans were laboring in unsafe functioning conditions for wages that simply kept them and their families alive.

Trade unions have existed in the United States in that the 1790s, and striking locked away been found legal in respect in 1842; but the Courteous War devastated the American retrenchment and made it difficult buy unions to interest workers unsavory walking away from the jobs they had.

In the 1870s, unions began to gain popularity. Illustriousness growth of unions can reproduction traced to a few major reasons: the shamelessness of illustriousness richest Americans and their be notable wealth and indifference to their workers; and newspaper publicity—especially ludicrous cartoons—depicting the Robber Barons similarly pigs gorging themselves at justness public trough.

In addition, justness indignation of the workers was compounded by unfair collusion mid the wealthy and the government; for example, when several strikers were convicted without any back up following a bomb explosion inexactness the infamous Haymarket Riot confine 1894, occurring during a knock against the McCormick reaper troop, workers across the country were enraged.

Some union organizers were carried away by the works of Karl Marx, whose Communist Manifesto was published in 1848.

This small-minded political tract inspired people visit over the world to frisk the relationship between workers viewpoint wealth. Two of the uttermost powerful and influential union choice in the country’s history emerged during the 1880s and 1890s: Samuel Gompers, who was depiction president of the American Coalescence of Labor from its brink in 1886 until his dying in 1924; and Eugene Overwhelmingly.

Debs, who led the potent American Railway Union from 1893 to 1897 and then ran for president on the Communist ticket in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912 and once again exertion 1920, while he was helping a jail sentence for jurisdiction vocal opposition to World Fighting I.

Critical Overview

Robinson is most cherished for his ability to put in writing lyric and dramatic poetry.

Player Tate states that “Mr. Robinson’s genius is primarily lyrical” subject that “Richard Cory” is “a perfect specimen of Mr. Robinson’s dramatic powers—when those powers act lyrically expressed.”

W. R. Robinson total the score the fac to “Richard Cory” as melody of several poems set pile the fictional Tilbury Town, adroit place of “spiritual crassness survive blindness” that links Robinson “with small-town New England, the authoritarian, utilitarian social climate customarily included as the Puritan ethic.” (The Puritan ethic is the Christlike emphasis on good works thanks to evidence that one is reclaimed from eternal damnation in Hell.) Robinson is often compared give a warning Edgar Lee Masters, who wrote similar short-lyric poems on nobleness citizens of a small zone in the book Spoon Freshet Anthology. Louis Untermeyer says digress Robinson is “at his height” in such poems and range “none of the people exclaim Spoon River (to which innumerable of these characters bear efficient sort of avuncular relation) testing pictured more surely and amazingly than [‘Richard Cory’].”

Since the close is so important to knowhow the poem, critics often isle of man deemster “Richard Cory” based on of necessity they like how it residue.

Richard P. Adams reads grandeur poem as an anti-materialistic song and says that Cory’s slayer “leaves the reader free chance on decide, if he has cap own courage to do middling, that working and waiting cope with going without, and even foul language on occasion, may be ingenious pretty good life after all.” William H. Pritchard seems be acquainted with agree.

He sees Robinson introduction “someone who relished ironic incongruities” such as the difference amidst the way the speaker female “Richard Cory” sees Cory sit the way Cory’s inner step really is. However, Yvor Winters does not value the method as highly; he calls scrape by a “superficially neat portrait eliminate the elegant man of mystery,” and he calls Cory’s self-destruction “a very cheap surprise ending,” saying that “all surprise closings are cheap in poetry, venture not, indeed, elsewhere, for rhyme is written to be discover not once but many times.”

Criticism

David Kelly

David Kelly is a novelist and instructor at Oakton General public College in Des Plaines, Algonquian.

In the following essay, Buffoon examines the role of

What Action I Read Next?

• The connection amidst Robinson’s poems about Tilbury Hamlet, including Richard Cory, and magnanimity poems of Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology, published mull it over 1915, has frequently been noted—both poem sequences provide a materialize of small-town America.
• Reviewers often total Robinson to Henry James, natty novelist who also explored nobility American attitude toward wealth.

  Illustriousness Dial Press collection from 1944, The Great Short Novels custom Henry James, includes the humanities Daisy Miller, The Turn be frightened of the Screw, and more.

• All help Robinson’s poems, including “Richard Cory,” are gathered in The Undismayed Poems Of Edwin Arlington Robinson, published in 1937.
• Sherwood Anderson’s ideal Winesburg, Ohio (1919), tells influence stories of citizens in trim small town in Ohio.
• A fantastic but often-neglected novel, Ford Madox Ford’s The Good Soldier: Dinky Tale of Passion also explores human the inner lives commemorate privileged people.

  The character Richard Cory would fit comfortably space this novel.

wealth in the plan, focusing on how it influences the reader.

Americans can rest readily with the knowledge that Richard Cory, miserable wretch, pulled leadership trigger on himself, thereby assuring us that the wealth heavyhanded of us will never update is not worth having in all events.

If Cory actually was distinction person the poem tells rank reader he was, not fair rich but also human, elegant and kingly, it would have to one`s name been proof that one bottle rise to the top deficient in getting a swelled head flatter losing touch with the party, and, frankly, that sort have available unbridled success has to give somebody the job of treated with suspicion.

Interestingly, if Cory’s story happened today, someone would make a point to consider this humanitarian millionaire, to surprise the business deal in consummate past that he concluded indispensable than civilly, or the forlorn relative, or the pills survey surgery that kept him advantageous slim, or the child appease bounced on his knee tetchy a little too long.

The wash out about Richard Cory’s suicide attempt not why it happened—the clergyman has some idea of why—but the fact that it seems so natural that he would do it.

In theory, tally of wealth is what America’s economy is built on. Private enterprise makes our society work, refreshing citizens to get up lead to of their chairs, to cobble together new things, to think title create and search for advanced solutions. Wealth is quite trig motivator. Research scientists, for model, might drive themselves day spreadsheet night in their search penny cure diseases, simply out firm footing love for mankind—but for magnanimity rest of us, it takes the promise of something additional, in the way of leisure pursuit and financial rewards, to focus us to do our jobs.

Without trying to belabor the perceptible, in our society superior exploit is rewarded with wealth most recent prestige.

We do not grasp how Richard Cory earned process, but we can see pen the poem what an incitement he was to the folks on the pavement.

In its purest form, wealth can motivate humanity to do their best snitch, until they ascend to focus category we call “the rich.” The correlation between work endure money is not pure; creature who we are, humans series to add moral implications resting on the equation, so that manufacture money is more than systematic measure of work but besides a measure of how moderately good one is at heart.

To innocent degree, this explains why corporations also bestow benefits on leading executives—great benefits like cars, billy memberships, vacations, and even cover.

Companies consider these perks garland be important because an white-collar who is living well liking inspire junior executives to river to his level by serviceable hard. These fringe benefits express approval and success in smashing way that cold hard hard cash does not. For example, sustenance the first inauguration of Ronald Reagan in 1981, Nancy President replaced the tableware in glory White House with $209,000 value of Lennox china.

To dried up, this seemed like egotistical manipulation of money, but it was intended as an inspirational letter, to show “the people educate the pavement” the extreme course group that one can earn take from working hard and rising shield the top of one’s field.

Regardless of how economic theory justifies building one’s fortune, America has never been completely comfortable give up your job limitless acquisition of wealth.

That philosophy can be traced be a consequence the Puritans, a sect extent English Protestants whose religious sayings opposed luxury and welcomed put to the test. A number of religious turf philosophical orders settled in Earth during colonial times, but blue blood the gentry Puritans were able to retire their mark on the ably the culture developed because they survived.

They accepted the indebted of living in the alien wilderness without requiring worldly happiness or reward. For Puritans, uncalledfor was itself a way pleasant following God’s will, just considerably comfort was the devil’s hall of luring men away stick up God. We still use honesty phrase “Puritan work ethic” these days to describe that specifically Denizen drive to keep working careless of the reward, for blue blood the gentry sake of work alone.

And advantageous Americans have two opposing views of wealth.

Economically, greed admiration good; it inspires people proficient work harder to buy additional and then find ways occasion work even harder. Yet spiritually the belief is prevalent defer the pursuit of material business is a futile, empty essay that isolates people from what is really important. Ours admiration supposed to be classless refrain singers, dedicated to the proposition lose concentration all people are created equal—but that basic principle is contradicted if wealthy people are reputed better than ordinary people.

Proficient put it another way, amazement all want to be derive Richard Cory’s place, but roam does not keep us use thinking the worst of him.

Richard Cory’s suicide at the sponsor of the poem seems crucial, even if it does hit as a shock, because greatness reader is prepared to accept that a wealthy man problem hiding either shame or completion.

One reason for this stick to that sometimes the rich are hiding something; it is innocent to assume that the customary of the rich are augmentation than anybody else’s.

Another reason influence reader may be suspicious legal action that the rich have ultra resources and therefore have complicate places to hide their secrets, from secret walled-up rooms forbear undeveloped plots of land indifference Swiss bank accounts.

A moneyed man may have paid family unit to be silent about what he has done. A dangerous man almost surely has not.

Finally, we accept that Richard Cory had something hidden all way-out because he just seemed also good to be true available the poem. If anyone jar create a false impression, disentangle educated, wealthy person can.

Pristine readers are just too cosmopolitan to rely on outward observance, as the poem’s narrator manifestly did, perhaps because he necessary someone to look up to.

Wealth makes us suspicious and income makes us jealous, and what because it comes to comparing ourselves

“Americans can rest comfortably with integrity knowledge that Richard Cory, desolate wretch, pulled the trigger gesticulate himself, thereby assuring us become absent-minded the wealth most of secluded will never know is put together worth having anyway.”

to someone who has more, we remind themselves about the camel who throne pass through the eye make public a needle easier than dinky rich man can get jar heaven.

We have more prosperous people to look at any more than Robinson did in queen time. They serve the garb basic intellectual and moral fundamentals for us that they served when this poem was graphical. In Robinson’s day, the models of unrestrained wealth, such hoot Andrew Carnegie or Cornelius Altruist or John D.

Rockefeller capture Andrew Mellon, were people who had built their astronomical good fortune from scratch, feeding both magnanimity hopes for personal growth promote the fear of corruption stray rich people are bound pressurize somebody into stir up in common nation. There was a greater diffidence between wealthy people and principles people.

Today we do not find credible that the divide is go off great.

We believe that depiction person next door might spitting image tonight’s lottery and be unornamented millionaire in the morning. Astonishment believe that any one supporting our acquaintances who can matter a teleprompter, walk a incline, chat amicably, or catch far-out ball—that is, just about anyone—might just be considered as exalted as Carnegie or Vanderbilt prep added to be showered with just owing to much money.

We believe depart the rich are more lack us than Edwin Arlington Player believed, but we also receive a more steady barrage behoove scandals, exposed by the equivalent media culture that is opus these instant millionaires. Every date the newspapers and television bring to mind us that rich people be blessed with secrets, that they are tender to scandal.

The other thing go wool-gathering we like to believe travel the rich is that those who do not have secrets are lonely, too far undisturbed from “the real world” accept really enjoy life.

Alienation silt a common cause of suicides, and it would certainly put into service to Richard Cory; for style of the talk about him, he is kept at smashing distance, treated like an thing, forced to live a put it on, different than the common ancestors with no rich friend skin texture even a complacent chauffeur object to talk to.

In modern American assured the image of the solitary billionaire is a steady fixture: the character of Charles Help Kane in the movie Citizen Kane dies wealthy but friendless; and in real life, Histrion Hughes was unbelievably rich on the other hand so phobic about germs cruise he sealed himself off school in a disinfected room and deadly, in 1976, like a anchoress.

Common sense implies that description very wealthy would have great friends, but those “friends” superfluous more likely to be drawn by money and therefore quite a distance true friends at all. Believing that it is lonely encounter the top makes life extend bearable to those who controversy not think they will sly get there anyway.

It is small American tradition to want thesis be rich, but at glory same time to wish integrity rich person unhappiness.

The incongruent of this is, of flight path, the tradition of the wealthy person to not care who thinks ill of him less important her. In Richard Cory’s wasting, there is a kind fend for justification for the rest snare us, the people on leadership pavement, the ones who cabaret waiting for the light—we gather together rest assured that money does not buy happiness after all.

Source: David Kelly, in an composition for Poetry for Students, Typhoon, 1998.

Sources

Adams, Richard P., “The Racket of Edwin Arlington Robinson,” overcome Tulane Studies in English, Vol.

11, 1961, pp. 97-151.

Chernow, Bokkos, “The Lady and the Titan,” in Vanity Fair, May, 1998, pp. 224-38.

Currie, Harold, Eugene Overwhelmingly. Debs, Twayne Publishers, 1976.

Lindsey, Almont, The Pullman Strike, The Introduction of Chicago Press, 1942.

Pritchard, William H., “Edwin Arlington Robinson: Righteousness Prince of Heartbreakers,” in The American Scholar Vol.

40, Cack-handed. 1, Winter, 1978-79, pp. 89-100.

Robinson, W. R., “The Alienated Self,” in Edwin Arlington Robinson: Deft Poetry of the Act, Representation Press of Western Reserve Custom, 1967, reprinted in Edwin City Robinson: A Collection of Depreciating Essays, edited by Francis Tater, Prentice-Hall, 1970, pp.

128-47.

Tate, Gracie, “Edwin Arlington Robinson,” in Reactionary Essays on Poetry and Ideas, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1936, pp. 123-201.

Trachtenberg, Alan, The Incorporation translate America: Culture and Society necessitate the Gilded Age, Hill beam Wang, 1982.

Untermeyer, Louis, “Edwin Metropolis Robinson,” in American Poetry on account of 1900,Henry Holt and Company, 1923, pp.

40-66.

Winters, Yvor, Edwin Metropolis Robinson, New Directions, 1946, 162 p.

For Further Study

Barnard, Ellsworth “‘Of This or That Estate’: Robinson’s Literary Reputation,” in Edwin City Robinson: Centenary Essays, The Institute of Georgia Press, 1969, pp. 114.

The poet’s reputation has denaturised in the past thirty mature, since this essay was published; still, this account of Robinson’s fluctuating reputation during his lifetime and in the decades betimes after makes an interesting chalk in the history of Earth poetry.

Coxe, Louis O., Edwin Metropolis Robinson: The Life of Poetry, Pegasus Press, 1969.

Biographical and carping study.

Franchere, Hoyt C., Edwin Metropolis Robinson, Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1969.

This book-length survey of Robinson’s strength and work provides basic avail and critical information, without discontented new ground.

A useful well-rounded reference.

Fussell, Edwin S., “One Thick-skinned of Traditional Poet,” in Edwin Arlington Robinson: A Collection catch the fancy of Critical Essays, edited by Francis Murphy, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1970, pp. 95-109.

Contrasts Robinson’s works with reward reputation as an “old-fashioned” versifier.

Fussell also reports on add Robinson answered his younger critics.

Stovall, Floyd, “The Optimism Behind Robinson’s Tragedies,” in Appreciation of King Arlington Robinson, edited by Richard Cary, Colby College Press, 1969, pp. 55-74.

This book was publicised “for the 100th anniversary oppress Maine’s most illustrious poet,” according to the title page.

Stovall’s essay examines Robinson’s whole calling, mentioning “Richard Cory” in passing.

Winters, Yvor, Edwin Arlington Robinson, In mint condition Directions Books, 1971.

Considered one break into the definitive texts of legendary criticism of Robinson. Important would like for anyone studying this poet.