Through the poem, Robinson never hints to any relationships that Richard Cory may have had. There is no mention of lovers, family, or even friends in the poem. I believe that Robinson was trying to communicate that companionship is essential to almost all people. Richard Cory was hiding his need for relationships if he had the need. Robinson may also have been trying to communicate that although money can make a person happy, they may grow tired of it over time. When you become very used to one thing over time, it may begin to matter less and less. People that are not as well off as others should not measure happiness by just dollars and cents.
There is a much larger picture of personal happiness that should be addressed and maintained so that personal health and welfare are sustained. I think Robinson wants the reader to think that when Richard Cory died, he was probably a very lonely and sad man. A supporting fact of this would be the absence of relationships in any form through out the poem. With no lover, no family, and no friends, it could be understood as one factor in the decision making of Richard. Richard Cory also appears to keep all of his emotions hidden from the rest of the world through his everyday routine. By keeping his emotions bottled up, he may eventually have popped and decided that he no longer wanted to live.
Richard Cory is symbolic of upper society, and the townspeople are symbolic of the middle class. The lesson that Robinson tries to teach is that people in the middle class should not desire that they were as wealthy as the upper class. Money will not bury your problems, nor will it make everything better. Although you may have all the money one can imagine, certain problems in life will still haunt you. It is hard to argue that in todays world that money will not make you happy in one way. “And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, went home and put a bullet through his head”.` The calm summer night that Robinson refers to is meant to build the idea that the night was like any other.
The Essay on Richard Cory Analysis Tone Poem Shift
'Richard Cory " Paraphrase: A man named Richard Cory appeared to have it all: looks, a suave persona and a respectable social status. These qualities were respected and admired by the townspeople, even envied to a small degree. Despite his apparent perfect life, Richard Cory shot and killed himself. Purpose: The purpose of this poem is to show that people are not always who they appear to be. ...
Richard Cory’s breaking point was reached that calm summer night, for one reason or another. The fact that it happened on a warm summer night also tends to make one think that the thoughts of suicide had been on Richards mind for some time. It seems that he was not suddenly driven to suicide, but rather he became depressed overtime and slowly became suicidal. Robinson was trying to communicate that appearances may be deceiving. The lack of relationships, hidden emotions, and separation were the themes that Robinson touched upon in this poem. One may conclude that Richard Cory was as much a poem about life, as it was about death. In life, more than money is required to make a person happy and mentally healthy.
