Richard Cory

Edwin Arlington Robinson’s “Richard Cory” is a short, but very powerful poem. It shows how people can have one perception of a person, but in reality they my lead a completely different life. Robinson writes, “In fine, we thought that he was everything To make us wish that we were in his place.”(Robinson 575) People become envious of what they believe other people have. There are two things that are wrong with that. First is the fact that people want what other people have. Envy is a very dangerous sin. If you are not careful you may hurt someone when you are trying to attain what someone else has. It may not be a physical hurt, but your actions affect a lot of people without you even realizing it. The second thing that is wrong with this picture is that people are making assumptions. They are stereotyping someone because of the way they behave or dress. People are basing their happiness on the material possessions the man, Richard Cory appeared to have. They were basing their happiness on something that could be taken away very quickly. Robinson writes, “And he was rich-yes richer then a king.”(Robinson 575) Many people assume that money equals happiness and joy. When in reality, many people have more trouble and discontent when they are wealthier then the average human being. Richard’s discontent is shown in the last line of the poem. It says, “And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head.”(Robinson 575) Cory may have had all of the wealth and luxury that the other people desired, but he was not content. Because he did not know where to look next for his contentment and happiness, he thought his only option was to end his miserable life.

A person should never be driven to a point where he thinks taking his life is the best way to escape the pain. He should turn to other people for help, suicide should never be an option.

Robinson, A. Edwin. "Richard Cory" Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.