Answer:
Robinson’s “Richard Cory” is believed to be about one of his brothers, who died at a young age. The character Richard Cory is described as a true gentleman, in mannerisms as well as dress:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.
He is the envy of the town because everyone else seems to belong to the poorer working class. But ironically, this man who seemed to have everything decides to kill himself for no apparent reason:
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a b u l l e t through his head.
The poem moves from describing how envied and admired Richard Cory is to stating that he commits s u i c i d e, shattering the perception that he had a “charmed life.” Robinson uses irony to show that every person, whether rich or poor, encounters strife.
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
The irony also indicates how little people know about others’ lives. There is always more beneath what people show to the world.
Explanation:
Edmentum/Plato sample answer
