RICHARD CORY
Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, 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 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 meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.
“Richard Cory” is a very straightforward poem, almost literal. The three stanzas give the description of Richard Cory’s physical appearance, fame and wealth and the fourth stanza stuns the reader when Cory took his own life. The poem is very simple but despite the simplicity of its form, the mystery in Cory’s act of suicide shocks the readers.
Precisely, the poem speaks a lot about humanity and the basic and elemental things in the society. It tells us that the gleaming chimera projected in appearance by wealth and fame does not always bring permanent happiness because at times it leads us into isolation and emptiness.
The mystery in the poem reflects on the question, “Why did Richard Cory whom the townspeople thought possesses everything kill himself?”
The first line in the first stanza signifies the conflict that holds throughout the poem. The word downtown suggests of a busy place, probably the center of business where the working people stay. While Cory goes downtown, it is understood that he may come from the uptown – the place where the well-off people reside. For example, if Alabang is the downtown of Muntinlupa, Ayala Alabang is the uptown region. The second line suggests that the persona in the poem belongs to the group of people on the pavement in which case the “pavement” implies a lower class.
The third and fourth line describes Richard Cory’s physical appearance. Again, the two lines suggest the difference between the wealthy and the poor. The word “gentleman” is associated to the person who belongs to a higher socio-economic class. There’s quite a big difference in the word “gentleman” than simply a “man.” The latter signifies the common people.
In the second stanza the persona in the poem already wants to stress out that although Richard Cory is richer and better looking, he behaves like a regular guy. He was not haughty and arrogant. The line “he was always human when he talked” suggests that Cory is really a nice guy. He seemed very friendly and down-to-earth like the common folk in the town. The only difference is that Cory is a lot good looking. But whatever effort Cory tries to exert in becoming easygoing and sociable, he still make the common folks nervous when he speak to them. However, it is quite clear that the persona is a little obsessed with Cory’s personality and physical appearance as strongly suggested by the phrase “he glittered when he walked.”
While the previous stanzas plainly describe Cory’s behavior and appearance, this stanza clearly emphasizes about Cory’s wealth. The persona overstates Cory’s wealth as suggested by the phrase “richer than a king.” It is understood that a king is the richest man in his kingdom but in Cory’s case, he’s richer than any king. Therefore this line gives a clear example of hyperbole. The second line implies that Cory is educated in every style or in the modern notion, a professional in every respect.
The third and fourth lines now imply the assumptions and conclusions of the speaker who is apparently a part of the common folks as suggested by the pronoun “we.” They assume that Cory is a paragon blessed with good looks, fame and wealth – the kind of things they strive for. So they wish they were like Richard Cory.
In the first line of the last stanza, the speaker once more speaks of their poor social status as implied by the phrase “so on we worked.” However, the word “light” suggests of the spiritual guidance or a blessing from heaven. This suggests that the common folks as represented by the “we” are believers.
The second line, again, draws the distinction between the two socio-economic classes mentioned in the poem: the lower class and the elite. While the “meat” suggests the food of the wealthy, “bread” represents the food of the working class.
Then there comes the concluding lines which startle the reader. The caesura in the third line places an important pause that prepares an ironic ending to the reader. The fact that it was a “calm” summer night signifies that the suicide wasn’t something that was done in the spur of the moment but rather it was planned and rationally decided.
