The analysis of Richard Cory

TheanalysisofRichardCoryⅠ.ThepoemRichardCoryWheneverRichardCorywentdowntown,Wepeopleonthepavementlookedathim:Hewasagentlemanfromsoletocrown,Clean-favouredandimperiallyslim.Andhewasalwaysquietlyarrayed,Andhewasalwayshumanwhenhetalked;Butstillheflutteredpulseswhenhesaid,GoodMorning!andheglitteredwhenhewalked.Andhewasrich,yes,richerthanaking,Andadmirablyschooledineverygrace:Infine--wethoughtthathewaseverythingTomakeuswishthatwewereinhisplace.Soonweworkedandwaitedforthelight,Andwentwithoutthemeatandcursedthebread,AndRichardCory,onecalmsummernight,Wenthomeandputabulletinhishead.ⅡTheauthor——ArlingtonRobinsonThepoemisoneworkofArlingtonRobinsonandwasfirstpublishedin1897inTheChildrenoftheNight.ArlingtonRobinsonisanAmericanpoet,whowasborninthevillageofHeadTideinthetownofAlna,Maine,onDecember22,1869.Hedidnothaveahappychildhood.HedescribedhischildhoodinMaineasstarkandunhappy.Inlate1891,attheageof21,EdwinenteredHarvardUniversityasaspecialstudent.HetookclassesinEnglish,French,andShakespeare,aswellasoneonAnglo-Saxon.Edwin'sfather,Edward,diedafterEdwin'sfirstyearatHarvard.EdwinreturnedtoHarvardforasecondyear,butitwastobehislastoneasastudentthere.HemovedtoNewYork,whereheledaprecariousexistenceasanimpoverishedpoetwhilecultivatingfriendshipswithotherwriters,artists,andwould-beintellectuals.In1896heself-publishedhisfirstbook,TheTorrentandtheNightBefore.Hissecondvolume,TheChildrenoftheNight,hadasomewhatwidercirculation.HewonthePulitzerPrizethreetimesinthe1920s.RobinsondiedofcanceronApril6,1935intheNewYorkHospital(nowNewYorkCornellHospital)inNewYorkCity.ⅢThebackground“RichardCory,”remainsoneofRobinson'smostpopularpoems,recallstheeconomicdepressionof1893.Atthattime,peoplecouldnotaffordmeatandhadadietmainlyofbread.Thishard-timesexperiencemadethetownspeopleevenmoreawareofRichard'sdifferencefromthem,somuchsothattheytreatedhimasroyalty.ⅣThecontentofthepoemAlthoughthepeopleweresurprisedthatRichardcametotowndressed“quietly”andthathewas“alwayshumanwhenhetalked”,theynonethelessdistancedthemselvesfromhim.Thisdistanceissuggestedbythenarrator'swords“crown,”“imperially,”“grace,”“flutteredpulses,”and“glittered.”ThetownspeopleneverstoppedtoconsiderwhyRicharddressedandspokethewayhedid,whyhecametotownwheneveryoneelsewasthere,orevenwhyhetriedtomakecontactwiththembysaying“goodmorning.”Richardwaswealthy,buthewasnotrichatthelife-coreofhimself.Despitehiseffortsatcommunalconnection,Richard'swealthisolatedhimfromothers.Hewasalone.Ifthetownspeoplewishedtheywereinhisplacebecauseofhiswealth,heinturnwishedhewereoneofthembecausetheywererichinoneanother'scompany.Thetownspeoplefailedtoappreciatethevalueoftheirmutualsupportofoneanother,theirnurturingcommunaltogetherness.Soonehot,breezelesssummernight,Richardlayawake,unabletosleeportostoppainfulthoughts.Depressinglylonely,heendedhiswealthyandmiserablelife.Thepoem'sreaderissupposedtounderstandwhatthetownspeopledidnotunderstandaboutRichard'ssuicide:thattherewasaprice,inahumanratherthaninamonetarysense,thathepaidforbeingperceivedtobe“richerthanaking.”ⅤThethemeThecontentofthepoemisveryimpressing.Itgivesusapictureofthelifeofawealthy,gentleandwell-behavedman,RichardCory.Heisthehappiestpersonintheworldfromotherpeople’sperspectives.However,thesuicideofthe“happiest”RichardCoryshowsthatpeoplearenotalwayswhotheyappeartobe.Moreover,thepeoplethatseemtohaveitallmaystillbeemotionallyunstableandactirrationallysuchascommittingsuicide.Peoplecannotdetermineanotherperson’shappinessbytheirappearance.Everyonehashisownfrustrationthathecannotmakethroughinhislife.So,moneyisn'teverything.Andthispoemmakesonethinkabouttruehappinessandwhatitentails.Fromtheoutsideonemayappeartohaveeverythingbuthappinessdoesnotcomefromwealth,itcomesfromwithinoneselfandthenarratordidn'ttakethetimetoreallygettoknowRichardCoryenoughtoobservehisinnerthoughts.So,themostimportantthemeofthepoemisabouttheimportanceofthespirituallife.ⅥThestructureofthepoemBesidesthecontentandthethemeofthepoem,wecanfeelthebeautyofitineverystanza.Thereare4stanzasandeachcontainsfourlinesandservestorevealadifferentpieceofinformation.Thefirststanzashowsusthetown’sconsensusaboutRichardCory,“hewasagentlemanfromsoletocrow,cleanfavored,andimperiallyslim”.thepeoplewhoadmiredCorybecauseofallhepossessedpersonallyandfinanciallydidnotexpectsuchanact.Tothemheseemedtohaveeverythingworthlivingfor,whiletheystruggledtoputfoodonthetable.Thesecondstanzagivesussomeinformationofhispersonality,“quietlyarrayed”,“hewasalwayshumanwhenhetalked”,“heglitteredwhenhewalked”.EventhoughCorywas“quietlyarrayed,”notarrogantorhaughty,andeventhoughhechattedlikearegularguy,stillhemadepeoplealittlenervouswhenheaddressedthem,andhelookedlikegoldashepassedbyRichardCory’ssocialstatusappearsinthethirdstanza,“hewasrich,richerthanaking”,“admirablyschooledineverygrace”,“hewaseverything”.ThespeakertellsusquiteplainlythatRichardCorywasrich,butthespeakeralsoexaggeratesCory’swealth.Andthefourthstanzaistheabruptandunforeseenendingofhislife,“AndRichardCory,onesummernightwenthomeandputabulletthroughhishead”.Thelaststanzaisbeyondreaders’im