Project Blog #15 - Edwin Arlington Robinson – “Richard Cory”

Although short and sweet, Robinson's poem entitled "Richard Cory" is a keen description of Mr. Cory and his rich lifestyle. The poem talks about how everyone in the town highly admired the man. "But still he fluttered pulses when he said, 'Good Morning!' and he glittered when he walked," (Robinson). In this quote, readers can see just how prominent the infamous man was. I think this poem regards materialism in a very subtle way. It can be implied that this Mr. Cory was very caught up in his wealth and probably had a high materialistic lifestyle. He seemed to be the local man in the town that embodied his money and valued it more than life itself.

Critic P.B. Grant says in his literary criticism that Henry David Thoreau believed that America was getting too wrapped up in material things during the late nineteenth century (Grant). Traditions, according the Thoreau, were being lost and replaced with more advanced ideas and lifestyles. I think that for many, like Mr. Cory, this way of life was suitable on the outside, but on the inside was full of stress and sadness. This leads to the end of the poem, where Mr. Cory is found shot dead from suicide (Robinson). They always say that money cannot buy happiness, and I believe this is what Thoreau says when he says that new commodities do nothing to nurture an individuals spirit (Grant). This idea also goes hand in hand with individualism. Thoreau thought that an individual needed to focus on oneself and do what was best for themselves, despite the influx in social media and other distractions the Industrial Era brought to American society.

This story, along with Thoreau's materialism ideas, can go hand in hand with today's society. We are so caught up in the newest technological device that we fail to see the nature and beauty around us. I think that kids today would rather choose to stay inside and play video games or watch television rather than go outside and take in the earth's natural artwork and landscapes. It would be nice to step aside the from daily technological distractions that life throws at us and value nature at its finest like Thoreau tried to portray through his philosophy and literary works.

Grant, P. B. "Individual and Society in Walden." McClinton-Temple, Jennifer ed. Encyclopedia ofThemes in Literature. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2011. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." Poemhunter.com. Web. 06 Mar. 2012.