Richard Cory

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1897

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Related Poems

"Miniver Cheevy" by Edwin Arlington Robinson (1910)

This poem, published after “Richard Cory,” still maintains many of the signature elements present in Robinson’s earlier work. “Miniver Cheevy” also has a fable-like quality, as many of Robinson’s poems do. This poem teaches a lesson about a boy who is not content with the drudgery of his modern life and lusts after the days of sword fighting and gallant knights. Because the boy spends all his time dreaming and wishing, not unlike the townspeople in “Richard Cory,” he never accomplishes anything, a fate the poem attempts to warn against. With its brief and simple syntax as well as its strict rhyme scheme, this poem dives a bit deeper into the dangers of wishing one’s life away.

"The House on the Hill" by Edwin Arlington Robinson (1896)

This poem appears immediately before “Richard Cory” in The Children of the Night. “The House on the Hill” paints a haunting picture of an abandoned house. The speaker focuses on the grim and crumbling architecture and addresses the emptiness and forgotten memories of the people who once occupied the house. Although the poem’s final stanza breaks with the consistent three-line stanza form, overall, this poem displays Robinson’s characteristic allegiance to rhyme and meter.

"There’s a Certain Slant of Light" by Emily Dickinson (1890)

Although it was written almost 30 years before its publishing, Dickinson’s work inspired many poets and writers of this period, including Robinson. Like Robinson, Dickinson utilized consistent form and rhyme scheme as major literary devices throughout her poetry. “There’s a Certain Slant of Light” really emphasizes her mastery of language and ability to communicate complex ideas briefly and concisely, a quality Robinson also shares. This poem describes how a particular shaft of sunlight in winter prompts a reflection on religion, sadness, and death.

Further Literary Resources

Children of the Night by Edwin Arlington Robinson (1896)

Notably, this is the collection that made it into the hands of President Theodore Roosevelt and changed Robinson’s life forever. Supposedly the President’s favorite book of verse, this is Robinson’s second collection. It demonstrates his playful and clever language, and his cynicism and biting irony.

"Richard Cory" by Simon and Garfunkel (1966)

Written for the group’s second studio album, Sounds of Silence, Simon and Garfunkel’s “Richard Cory” is based on and inspired by Robinson’s poem of the same name. This song expands on the original poem by including other details; for example, in this version, Cory owns factories, attends operas, and is photographed regularly by the media. However, just like in the poem, this version of Richard Cory also commits suicide in the same manner, remaining authentic to the original messaging of Robinson’s poem.

House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (1905)

This Naturalist novel by Edith Wharton also discusses aspects of mental health and suicide, although, in the case of this novel, the suicide is arguably accidental. House of Mirth follows the protagonist Lily Bart as she desperately attempts to hide her true wealth and class from her peers. She throws away her money on fine clothes and gambling in an attempt to live an aristocratic life she cannot afford. Ultimately, she is unable to sustain her lifestyle and resorts to pharmaceutical drugs to cope with depression and starvation, an action that eventually leads to her untimely death.