Richard Cory Meaning

Happiness; a feeling often times expressed by people, even if it is not felt. A poem written by Edwin Arlington Robinson titled, “Richard Cory,” was a prime example of this. This poem does an excellent job of telling a story, through only a single scene. It explains the life of a wealthy, admired man that showed signs indicating his feelings of happiness. Most people were able to assume that Richard Cory had everything he ever could have imagined because of his financial status, nevertheless, they were wrong. Throughout the poem I felt that I was able to connect with the meaning behind it because of relationships I share and experiences I have daily. The poem takes a wide turn in the last stanza, leaving the reader speechless. As a result of …show more content…
I constantly see people walking down the hallways who “flutter pulses” when they talk and “glitter” when they walk. People are always putting on a happy face to hid what is really going on in their life. I admire how the poem is able to capture this. It is something so common to hear people wishing they had a different life rather than their own, because of something as simple as money. I was not only able to connect to the poem, but I learned something. I learned that I needed to change, I learned to be observant rather than jumping to conclusions. Not everything is as perfect as it appears to be. People put on a show all the time and if you just brush the surface and immediately assume the absolute best, you are missing the big picture. Be appreciative of the life you have, and if you are not happy or content with it, don’t wish to become someone else, improve yourself. Find happiness within yourself. Understanding the poem allowed me to realize that each individual should work hard and invest time into creating their own “perfect” life, because that’s what matters most. You are in control of your own