Richard Cory
The Misleading Assumption of Richard Cory The central theme conveyed in Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem, “Richard Cory”, is understood after the reader is diverted an assortment of literary devices into a false assumption that is successfully crafted by the author. ... The poem, “Richard Cory”, is essentially a tragic tale of a man who appears to have everything, but lacks the one thing money can’t buy: happiness. This façade of Cory is described from a peer’s perspective who resides on a completely opposite spectrum in society than Richard Cory. ... The speaker speaks, as he does for the rest of “the people on the pavement”, of his irritation for the rich as he describes Richard Cory (Jewell 591). Yet, there is somewhat an envious feeling of admiration for Richard revealed by the speaker. ... However, the poem abruptly ends with the speaker’s acknowledgement of Richard Corey’s suicide. ... Therefore, each fragment of the poem has to be analyzed further to gain a better feel for who Richard Corey really is.