Analysis of Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson

In “Richard Cory”, Edwin Arlington Robinson uses irony, simplicity, and perfect rhyme to depict the theme of the poem. The rhyme in “Richard Cory” is almost song-like, and it continues throughout the whole poem. The theme of the poem is that appearances are deceiving. The poem is about a man who everyone thinks is a “gentleman from sole to crown”, who then commits suicide. Irony is used in the poem very skillfully to show that appearances may be deceiving. When reading the poem, you get caught up in the song-like rhythm and it intensifies the effect of the tragedy. You think that everything is going perfectly, and that the poem is going to have a happy ending until you get to the last two lines, which are, “And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,/ Went home and put a bullet through his head.” When Richard Cory kills himself at the end of the poem, it is as shocking to the reader as it is to everyone else in the poem who assumed him to be the all around perfect guy. It is ironical that the man who everyone else thought was “perfect”, was missing something, and took his life

Why does everyone want to be like someone else? It is human nature to want to be admired and honored. This is not right, though. Each and everyone person should be happy with who they are because just imagine if everyone were perfect and the same. The world would be quite boring. Edwin Robinson clearly shows us in his poem "Richard Cory" that the life of someone else may not be all what it is cracked up...