Irony In Charles Burkhart's Richard Cory

In his poem, “Richard Cory” Edwin uses irony to show how we are to a man like him. Maintaining the idea that this man had everything going for him and was a well to do man. From the outside, the men working saw this man everyday, gazing at what a man should look like. Charles Burkhart gives criticism that show his contrast and his own ideas and claims about the man. In Richard Cory, author’s creates irony by using imagery, diction, and contrast to show the true description of the man and meaning behind the poem. The imagery that is displayed through the poem shows how the workers described the man while he was walking through the street. It can be seen as “ Clean favored, and imperially slim” (Line 4). From that, you can imagine in your own head, what the man would look like. Creating irony because although we imagine what he may look like from our heads, can tell a different story from the man itself. That we would be as a reader, more sympathetic toward “Richard Cory” death (Burkhart 360). Which from our point of view begs to question, why? The man had everything everyone else wished they had but they didn’t, so they …show more content…
Understanding that when reading throughout the poem, the conclusion wouldn’t be “ And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head” (Line 15-16). The contrast shows that what the people saw from outside did not understand the man he was from the inside. Burkhart says that there may be many factors that could have caused him to do what he did. For instance, illness, rejection of other people, and frustrated artistic impulses (Burkhart 360). Also, gives us a difference between appearance and reality. Many believe this man was something from his appearance. Blindsided by the fact that he was just one of us, just at a higher standing than most. Struggling with whatever may have happened, but the people in the town did not consider