Richard Cory Literary Analysis

Edwin Arlington Robinson took what could have been a complex story if told by a novelist, and summed it up into sixteen lines. Robinson wrote this poem exactly how life itself would show us. The first fourteen lines of the poem don't really tell us about Richard Cory's personality. We see Richard Cory in the poem just as we see any given kid walk down the hall everyday. We can see what the person chooses to show us, and are left blind to the reality of their circumstances and emotions. We are also left at the end, free to let our minds ponder what led Richard Cory to kill himself, just as we would be left freely to guess why that kid in the hall was crying today. Humans thrive on the unknown, and Robinson keeps his readers' minds on his work by leaving them with curiosity and allowing them to come to their own conclusions.

Edwin Arlington Robinson kept this poem short and to the point. In doing this, it made the poem stronger and more effective in leaving its mark. All the right words and phrases were used when writing Richard Cory. It is sad to know that this poem is based on they tragedy that Robinson himself had to make it through. Reality bites in this poem, and also brings things into perspective. A poem, which starts out so sweet and simple, turns into a heartbreaking story. I guess you could say that this poem is just like life; nothing is what it seems so if you assume, then you may be in for a colossal surprise.