WHENEVER Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.
And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.
And he was rich—yes, richer than a king,
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.
Notes
This song is reputedly based on a newspaper cutting on the death of Frank Avery who shot himself in the bowels with a shotgun. Robinson uses it to explore the theme of things not always being what they seem. All that glisters is not gold!
Paul Simon used the poem as the inspiration behind his song Richard Cary (on the album Sound of Silence) http://www.zmag.org/songs/Richard%20Cory.htm
http://www.zmag.org/songs/Richard%20Cory.htm
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Comments
1 - 11 of 11
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At one time one of the 5 or 6 best known poems by an American. Still a classic.
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I mused about how youth ...
is quickly snuffed out by the 'have too's' and 'should not's' and wrote a fantasy poem in response to it.
Richard Cory and I …
When I was just a sweet young thing of six
A handsome lad would take me by the hand,
And we would romp through woodlands to the stream,
Like children did when life was left unplanned.
True innocence felt freedom’s new reward,
And happiness took center stage for free -
There was no price attached to all we played
Our days were spent in Summer endlessly.
Soon Autumn came our simple lives would change,
And I was left with feelings of despair -
When Richard shipped away to boarding school
That Summer was the last we’d ever share.
Those happy times we shared would never die,
My mind was set to ne’er forget that fling.
Though other seasons woke with no compare
My first love stayed awakening like Spring.
Those days long gone and so my many moods -
I soon would learn the art of save the dream,
Much of my time was spent in fleeting hope
And longing for that innocence supreme.
I heard the news about Dick’s tragic end
As Summer slipped into a brand new file,
I sorted through my mind’s old photographs
The best ones yet, are Dick with unfeigned smile.
© 2008 Joy A. Burki-Watson -
Just show that appearances don't always tell the whole story. If it were fiction it might be called a New Yorker style of story for it's sudden, unexpected shift at the end...like many of O'Henry's stories but barring that criticism it reminds us never to judge by appearances.
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I love
From guest Lizzy (contact)
This is a wonderful poem. I love it!!! And you just get taken by surpise. I mean who would think that someone who's life seems so perfect would go and Kill himself? This poem is a perfect example of that saying "Never Judge a book by it's cover". -
The speaker is a poor person in town speaking on behalf of the other poor people observing Richard Cory who is a well to do/part of the rich family in town whose life seems so perfect. The speaker is speaking to an outsider coming into town, because everyone in town already knows gossiping about why it happened. In fact no one knows why he put a bullet through his head that night, his life obviously wasn't perfect. You think you know a guy. lol
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Tragic
An account of an ironic and inexplicable tragedy, leaving the reader asking WHY?
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I read this poem in American Literature class last year and loved it- I really like the point of view; Having a bystander tell the story rather than Richard makes the surprise ending more effective, I think.
.:Marie:. -
absolutely clever. I love this poem immensley. In fact for my Drama class I'm writing a play and I'm calling it "Richard Cory" and it's going to be just like this poem except more modern and the main setting is going to be in a Denny's resturaunt...WHOOPS said too much lol
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this is an awesome poem.... i love great poetry.
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man ive been looking for this poem didnt know the title just new the words but this is truly one of the best poems ever written
~angelwanabee24~ -
neutral
just as the saying goes, the grass only looks greener on the other side, until you actually walking the field, an absolute great write, -
don't touch it!
i love this one intensely. its starts off with us meeting richard cory who seems to be perfect and everyone loves him. and then that last line just takes you by surprise. i love how it says 'he glittered when he walked', one can actually see him walking down the street sparkling. this is truly a work of art, and one of the best. -
Wonderfully written.The lessons learned here are subtle,yet stark
at the same time.A classic indeed,yet as relative today as it was when written.
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