For this essay, I have chosen to compare and contrast "Provide, Provide" by Robert Frost and "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson. Although these poems have a similar theme, they contrast in some of the ways that they present this theme. I will, in this paper, give an overview of each of the poems, explain how they compare, explain how they contrast, and then say which poem is the greater piece of literature. .
"Provide, Provide" instantly takes on a cynical and mocking tone to describe a negative view of life. Frost describes a world that is solely based on appearances. The word "provide" is used in place of "prepare." Frost, in my opinion, is telling his readers to prepare their outward appearances so that when they die, they will look grand and wonderful. By this I mean that I think he says that individuals live life knowing that they will die, and when they die, they want to be well remembered, liked, and want people to think greatly of them. I think that he uses the word "provide" to imply that when you are preparing for your death by making "friends," you are only providing yourself with the status that you desire and want. The theme of this poem is: one should have all outward graces and dignified status, even if not internalized, so that when one dies, they are thought of as great.
In Robinson's poem, "Richard Cory," another great fall takes place. This poem describes the life of a man that had all the wonderful outward appearances that everyone idolized but who on the inside was very alone. At the end of the poem, this great man, Richard Cory, shoots himself in the head while everyone else is at home hoping for what he had. Because everyone wanted what he had on the outside without regard for him as a person, the theme of this poem is: things are not always what the outside appearance would have you believe they are. .
The first thing I will compare between these two poems is the theme.
