“Richard Cory” (1897), arguably Edwin Arlington Robinson’s most famous poem, is about perspective and realizing that everything is not always what it seems. About 10 years before the poem was published in a collection, entitled Children of the Night, the United States had experienced a series of economic depressions. The consequences of these economic downturns appear throughout this poem in Robinson’s notorious cynicism, which creates a bleak tone of irony. This situates the poem comfortably within the canon of Naturalism. Robinson’s allegiance to traditional forms reflects his resistance to the growing influence of Modernism that was beginning to gain traction within the literary world. Robinson was a key figure in American Literature during the turn of the 20th century, and many of his poems are set in or take inspiration from the quaint settings of smaller New England towns. Narrated from a small town’s collective point of view, the poem examines wealth, privilege, poverty, and an unexpected suicide.

Note: this study guide addresses suicide and mental health issues, and its content may be distressing to some readers.

Poet Biography

Born in Maine in December of 1869, Edwin Arlington Robinson was a prolific poet of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Robinson’s poetry embodies a few consistent themes, including personal failure, materialism, artistry, and change. He was awarded the very first Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1922 for his Collected Poems, a second Pulitzer Prize in 1924 for The Man Who Died Twice, and he remains a recognizable name for a few of his shorter works today. Although his father did not support his literary goals, Robinson attended Harvard University for a few years and published some poems in local newspapers and magazines. After many rejections, Robinson self-published his first collection of poems, entitled The Torrent and The Night Before. Although largely well-received, even this early collection garnered some negative feedback regarding Robinson’s bleak outlook and sense of humor. These critiques claimed that Robinson saw no beauty in life and instead viewed it as a prison, a criticism Robinson took in stride with his characteristic wit. Soon after, Robinson produced and self-published his second collection, The Children of the Night, which was discovered a couple of years later by President Theodore Roosevelt’s son Kermit, who passed along the collection to his father. The President took an immense liking to the poet’s work; he obtained a sinecure for the author at the New York Customs House that brought Robinson out of poverty, giving him financial security. Robinson went on to publish some of his best-known work, now referred to as the Tilbury Town cycle. Set in a small fictional New England town of the same name, these works further explore his interest in people’s true character and motivations, what lies beneath the mask of civility and manners. In 1935, Robinson fell ill with cancer, and up until his death continued to edit and revise his poetry. Robinson’s legacy remains highly esteemed, and his work is often held in the same regard as American greats like Robert Frost and Thomas Hardy.

Poem Text

Robinson, Edwin Arlington. “Richard Cory.” 1897. The Poetry Foundation.

Summary

The poem opens with a description of what happens when a man named Richard Cory would stroll through town. Homeless people and people working hard in town couldn’t help but stare at this man. They noticed that he was a classy, graceful, and refined man from the soles of his shoes to the top of his head. He dressed cleanly and was thin in an elegant way.

He never wore ostentatious or gaudy clothes and never made people feel less than him or like he was better than anyone when he spoke to them. But even though he didn’t make himself out like he was a big deal, everyone would get excited when he greeted them by saying “good morning.” He shined and sparkled when he walked through town.

Richard Cory was exceedingly wealthy, educated, well-mannered, and sophisticated. The people of the town were very jealous of him; they wanted to be him and live his life because it looked perfect to them on the outside.

But they could only dream of one day becoming like Richard Cory, and they just went on working and grinding away, hoping for something better. They had no money for expensive food like meat and grew sick and tired of eating bread. Then, one seemingly peaceful evening in summer, Richard Cory committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.