Edwin Arlington Robinson's poem "Richard Cory" is rich in
symbolism, imagery, and motif, the most important of which
are:
"Richard Cory": the name
itself is symbolic of the man, as it has the word "rich" in it, repeated in line 9: "And
he was rich—yes, richer than a king." The surname "Cory" is a spin on "core," echoed in
line 3 "from heat to toe" and line 6 "he was always
human."
The body: appearances
are symbolic and, by virtue of the last line, deceiving as well. Body symbolism and
imagery include "sole to crown," "fluttered pulses," "the bullet through his head."
Even the "meat" and "bread" (together forming the "Body of Christ" sacrament) connote
suffering. Together, the people's focus on his bodily figure is ironically undercut by
his unhappy suicide and separation from
them.
The town: the geography
of the town symbolically shows Richard Cory's separation from and status above the
townspeople, with dualities of "down town" vs. his "home" where he "was richer than a
king." Line 2 clearly shows the gap in social class between R.C. and the town: "We
people on the pavement looked at him." This implies that R.C. towered or hovered above
the masses.
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