In the poem “Richard Cory” by Edwin Arlington Robinson, a man is viewed highly by the people on the streets. On one calm summer night Richard Cory went home and ended his life by shooting himself in the head. The tone of the poem is ironic. There are three types of irony, the three types of irony are verbal, situational, and dramatic. This poem expresses many examples of situational irony. Situational irony is when the reader expects something to happen but something totally different happens. “Irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected” (Dictionary.com).
The first example of situational irony that stands out to me is when everyone believes Richard Cory is a happy man, but in reality he is not. In the beginning of the poem the author spends most of the poem expressing how everybody wanted to be like Richard Cory. Richard Cory was a gentlemen. “He was a gentleman from sole to crown, clean favored, and imperially slim” (Richard Cory pg851). Richard Cory was also a very wealthy man, they said …show more content…
When Richard Corey shockingly shoots himself point blank in the head it comes as a surprise to everyone. The author leads up to the death by saying “one calm summer night” and then says that Richard Corey shoots himself. By the beginning of the sentence the last thing you would think is that someone is going to die, let alone shoot themselves. This is an example of situational irony in itself. “And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head” (Richard Cory pg851). The author makes you think nothing is going to happen when he says “one calm summer night” (Richard Cory pg851). This is ironic because the author catches the reader off guard by making the reader think nothing is going to happen, but then Richard Cory ends up putting a bullet through his
The first example of situational irony that stands out to me is when everyone believes Richard Cory is a happy man, but in reality he is not. In the beginning of the poem the author spends most of the poem expressing how everybody wanted to be like Richard Cory. Richard Cory was a gentlemen. “He was a gentleman from sole to crown, clean favored, and imperially slim” (Richard Cory pg851). Richard Cory was also a very wealthy man, they said …show more content…
When Richard Corey shockingly shoots himself point blank in the head it comes as a surprise to everyone. The author leads up to the death by saying “one calm summer night” and then says that Richard Corey shoots himself. By the beginning of the sentence the last thing you would think is that someone is going to die, let alone shoot themselves. This is an example of situational irony in itself. “And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head” (Richard Cory pg851). The author makes you think nothing is going to happen when he says “one calm summer night” (Richard Cory pg851). This is ironic because the author catches the reader off guard by making the reader think nothing is going to happen, but then Richard Cory ends up putting a bullet through his