Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

Richard Cory Whenever Richard Cory went downtown, 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, 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: 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, Went home and put a bullet through his head. Edwin Arlington Robinson

Translation (English)

Richard Cory Whenever Richard Cory went to town, We people on the sidewalk watched him; He was a gentleman from head to toe, Well-liked and elegantly thin. And he was always dressed simply, And he was always friendly when he spoke; But still he made hearts beat faster when he said, ‘Good-morning,’ and he shone when he walked. And he was wealthy - yes, wealthier than a king --- And perfectly trained in every grace: In short, we thought he was everything To make us wish we were in his position. So we kept working, hoping for better times, And went without meat, and complained about the bread; And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and shot himself in the head.

About the Poet

Edwin Arlington Robinson (Late 19th to early 20th century)

Edwin Arlington Robinson was an American poet known for his short, dramatic poems about the lives of ordinary people. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry three times and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Narrative poem
When Written: 1897
Background: The poem reflects on the disparity between outward appearances and internal realities, challenging the notion that wealth and status equate to happiness. It was written during a time when economic disparity was a significant issue in America.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Cory, https://poets.org/poem/richard-cory, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44982/richard-cory, https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/edwin-arlington-robinson/richard-cory, https://poemanalysis.com/edwin-arlington-robinson/richard-cory/

Detailed Explanation

The poem 'Richard Cory' by Edwin Arlington Robinson tells the story of a man who appears to have everything: wealth, education, and grace. The townspeople admire him and envy his seemingly perfect life. However, the poem takes a dark turn when it reveals that Richard Cory, despite his outward success, is deeply unhappy and ends his own life. This narrative challenges the assumption that wealth and status bring happiness, highlighting the hidden struggles that individuals may face regardless of their outward appearance. The poem uses simple language and a straightforward narrative to convey a powerful message about the human condition and the dangers of envy and assumptions.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
gentleman	polite man	a kind and polite man	jen-tl-muhn
crown	top of the head	the top of the head	kroun
imperially	royally	like a king or queen	im-peer-ee-uh-lee
arrayed	dressed	dressed in a certain way	uh-reyd
fluttered	moved quickly	made people excited or nervous	fluht-erd
glittered	shone	shone brightly	glit-erd
admirably	impressively	in a way that people admire	ad-muh-ruh-blee
grace	elegance	simple elegance	greys
cursed	complained	complained angrily	kurst
bullet	projectile	a small metal piece shot from a gun	bool-it

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