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Poetry Literary Analysis Essay - Richard Cory
‘Richard Cory’ a poem penned by Edwin Arlington Robinson is a narrative poem that delineates the need to cherish what one possess rather than envy others. First published in the year 1897, the poem is one of the most anthologized and memorable works of Robinson. As Morris opines, this poem condenses a man’s life into sixteen lines, and the simplicity and laconic nature of the poem intensifies the ironic touch. In this poem, the poet has made use of irony to convey the context and theme of the poem.
Richard Cory is a poem which elucidates how a person, who was perceived to be successful and happy by the society around him based on his appearances, was, actually, depressed enough to commit suicide. It conveys the message that it is wrong to judge a person by his outward appearance. The first few lines of the poem give a vivid description of Cory through the eyes of the narrator who belongs to the same town. He is portrayed as a man who has everything – money, charm, education, looks, and status. The first four stanzas are formal and organized, while the last row lines comes as a shock to the reader. These lines convey, rather blatantly, that Cory on one calm summer night put a bullet through his head.
The surprise ending gives the poem a tragic irony. Cory was nothing short of a celebrity in his town and was a person everybody envied. The narrator appears to be one of the admirers of the Cory. He is recounting his own opinions and feelings towards Cory, which makes the reader relate to him even more. The narrator states that they looked upon the pavement to glimpse at Cory, which reveals the reverence Cory enjoyed. This apparent worship further accentuates the shock quotient of the ending. Cory who was a facade of perfection on the outside was crumbling inside.
The choice of a calm summer night, for the tragic incident to take place, is another expert use of irony by Robinson. The calamitous event, which deprives the town of its idol, happens in a calm night. The calmness of the night completely contradicts the chaos ensuing Cory’s mind. The only words uttered by Cory in the entire poem are ‘Good Morning’. It is an irony in itself as the poem shifts from that point to a suicide in the night. While Cory seems to have instilled a liking for life among people around him he himself detested it. The narrator and his friends see Cory as an ideal person living an ideal life. It is apparent that the narrator and his friends yearn to live like Cory.
The first three stanza of the poem is a steady buildup to the sudden ending. Each of these stanzas serves to paint a picture of Cory in the minds of the reader. He is portrayed as gentleman who is rich, cultured, modest, and good-looking. The first fourteen lines of the poem is a meticulous preparation for the last two lines. Richard Cory lived a life which the narrator dreamed of living, but a life which Cory hated so much that he willingly gave it up.
Irony can be of three forms – situational, verbal or dramatic. . Robinson’s’ poem possesses elements which convey all these three forms of irony. Situational irony occurs when information is hidden from the reader and other characters of the poem. In this poem, both the reader and the narrator were unaware of how unhappy Cory was and his suicide takes them by surprise. When in the end the narrator states that Cory put a bullet through his head, the reader is taken by surprise and this constitutes situational irony.
Verbal irony is conveying something which contradicts the actual truth. Robinson initially states that “That rich gentleman sure was happy,” which is a contradiction to actual reality. Cory was depressed enough to kill himself and was anything but happy. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader knows about a situation or the character more than the narrator. In this poem, the narrator and the group that he belongs to (townspeople) obviously think that since Cory is educated and rich he has everything. However, the readers are aware that while the narrator and the townspeople share a fostering communal togetherness, Cory was alone and depressed.
The reader knows Cory only through the impressions he made on others. The poem is narrated from the viewpoint of the people in the pavement who look upon Cory as an epitome of elegance and wealth. Seeing his life from a distance, the onlookers have no idea about Cory’s inner turmoil. Robinson infuses irony not just in the content but also the form of the poem. The initial smooth flow of the poem makes the violent ending all the more unexpected and shocking. The Royal notations given to Cory throughout the poem (Crown, king, imperially) contrasts the despair and gloom that engulfed his life. All these elements together create a memorable ending, which along with townspeople stuns the readers too leaving us to wonder what might have made the great Cory feel dissatisfied with his life.
Works Cited
Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Fiction: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Fort Worth, TX: Paulinas, 1993. Print.
Morris, Lloyd. The Poetry of Edwin Arlington Robinson: An Essay in Appreciation. 1923. Web. <http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/m_r/robinson/cory.htm>. 27 October 2014.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. Richard Cory. 1897. web. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174248>. 27 October 2014.
