Richard Cory (poem)

"Richard Cory" is a narrative poem written by Edwin Arlington Robinson, first published in 1897.

The poem describes a fictional character who is wealthy, well educated, mannerly, and admired by the people in his town. At the end of the poem, however, he commits suicide. The poem was adapted by Simon & Garfunkel for their song "Richard Cory".

Text

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.
And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.
And he was rich, richer than a king—
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.

External links

* [http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/m_r/robinson/cory.htm Critiques of this poem]
*Variations on the Richard Cory story by [http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/simon+and+garfunkel/richard+cory_20124655.html Simon & Garfunkel] , [http://www.dcdave.com/poet14/070225b.htm David Martin] , [http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=4554 A.R. Gurney, and Ed Dixon]