Whenever Richard Cory went down town, by Edwin Arlington Robinson — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

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, 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.

Translation (English)

Whenever Richard Cory went to town, We people on the sidewalk watched him: He was a gentleman from head to toe, Well-groomed, and elegantly thin. And he was always dressed simply, And he was always friendly when he spoke; But still he made hearts race when he said, "Good-morning," and he shone when he walked. And he was rich—yes, richer than a king— And perfectly educated in every way: In short, we thought he was everything That made us wish we were in his place. So we kept working, hoping for better times, And went without meat, and cursed 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 born on December 22, 1869. He is known for his short and dramatic poems that often explore themes of personal failure and the human condition. Robinson won three Pulitzer Prizes for his work.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Narrative poem
When Written: 1897
Background: The poem reflects on the disparity between outward appearances and inner realities, highlighting the unexpected struggles of those who seem to have everything. It was written during a time when societal expectations and personal success were often at odds.

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

Detailed Explanation

The poem 'Richard Cory' by Edwin Arlington Robinson explores the theme of appearance versus reality. Richard Cory is depicted as a wealthy, well-mannered, and admired individual who seems to have everything one could desire. The townspeople envy him and aspire to be like him, believing that his life is perfect. However, the poem takes a dark turn when it reveals that despite his outward success and the admiration he receives, Richard Cory is deeply unhappy and ultimately takes his own life. This shocking conclusion underscores the idea that external appearances can be deceiving and that wealth and status do not guarantee happiness. The poem serves as a poignant reminder of the hidden struggles that individuals may face, regardless of how they are perceived by society.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
gentleman	man of good manners	a nice man who behaves well	jen-tl-muhn
sole	bottom of the foot	bottom part of a foot or shoe	sohl
crown	top of the head	top part of the head	kroun
favored	looked good	looked nice	fey-vurd
imperially	royally	like a king	im-peer-ee-uh-lee
arrayed	dressed	dressed in clothes	uh-reyd
fluttered	made excited	made people excited	fluht-urd
glittered	shone brightly	shone brightly	glit-urd
admirably	in a way that deserves respect	in a way that people admire	ad-muh-ruh-blee
grace	elegance	smooth and nice movement	greys
cursed	spoke angrily about	got angry about	kurst
calm	peaceful	quiet and peaceful	kahm
bullet	projectile for a gun	small metal piece for a gun	bool-it