Edwin Arlington Robinson

What in life makes one truly happy, and is it relatively attainable? Throughout our lives, we are constantly instructed and motivated by this idea that wealth and power bring joy, and we dedicate our existence working towards that goal. Fame and affluence are idolized, and there is a craving to be in the places of those who “made it”. This unseen mask that others put on is deceiving and immensely misleading towards admirers. Although one might say that money can buy happiness, the American Dream…

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.…

One of the most common words that come to people's minds when the word “American” is being mentioned is freedom. That is why a massive of Non-American people from another country migrate here to America for their own specific reason like financing, work, education and more. Many people that live in America have different ethnicities and race, all of which came from each of their individual background. Through these different mediums, Wonder, Chapman, and Cory convey the idea that on American…

As we view the evolvement of American literature, we begin to move away from the transcendentalist impressions of writers, and move toward a more realistic notion. The texts and authors of this era were greatly influenced by the circumstances around them: the American Civil War, the rush to the Alaskan Yukon for gold, or the Industrial Revolution, which incited them to see the world in a different light than those before them. To a reader with little to no knowledge on the background of the…

in the town wants to be just like him. Then something happened that no one guessed would ever happen to him. Richard Cory goes home and shoots himself in head, killing himself instantly. THESIS (ONE sentence; revised from working thesis): Edwin Arlington Robinson, the poet of “Richard Cory”, shows the idea that wealth and status does…

the poem, Robinson describes how everyone envied his traits, looks, and success. Which is why the last two lines of the poem shocked me a bit. "Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head." In the poem, the author subtly describes how Richard Cory was isolated from society resulting in him committing suicide. As Americans in a capitalist society, we are taught to try to become successful in order to make the most money and gain the most power. Robinson…

The United States of America is the most diverse country in the world. People from all over the world come to America to attempt to achieve the American Dream. The American Dream is the belief that through hard work, sacrifice and risk taking in a free and equal country like America, an individual can find personal fulfillment and become self-actualized. The question is; as the middle class fades away and income inequality becomes a major issue, is the American Dream still alive today? This…

Edwin Arlington Robinson “Richard Cory” and Emily Dickinson “I’m Nobody! Who are you? “are two memorable poems that inspired generations of readers. Richard Cory defines what it means to be richer than a king and well known. While Emily Dickinson promotes an idea that she deeply valued. The idea signified privacy over popularity. Although the two iconic poets had many differences they shared similar characteristics, such as their appearance versus reality in society. The initial interpretation…

purpose or pleasure. They put all of their effort into reaching this dream, only to realize it is not what they had truly desired. This idea of having the American Dream, but still not being content is reflected in the poem, Richard Cory, by Edwin Arlington Robinson. He states that Richard Cory is rich and admired by all of the townspeople, displaying that he also has it all. However, at the end he pulls out a gun and “put[s] a bullet through his head.” Although Richard Cory and others have…

People will do whatever makes them ultimately more successful in the end. This raises a question: is the American Dream even worth it? I think that the poem entitled Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson says that no, it is not. In the end of the poem a man named Richard Cory, who is seen as a virtual god by the people below him, shoots himself in the head. What reason would he have for committing suicide if he was rich and successful? My…