Richard Cory

Narrated from the town’s point of view, the poem immediately creates a separation between the average townsperson and this figure that is Richard Cory. The townspeople and Richard Cory are not alike. The poem’s point of view sets the town apart from Cory, not necessarily in opposition to Cory (the people do not appear to wish him direct harm), but it does prop up this person as someone unique or special. This reaction is reinforced repeatedly throughout the poem, pointing to shock or surprise upon seeing Cory: “We people on the pavement looked at him” (Line 2). However, Cory does not appear to be doing anything particularly surprising or shocking. The opening line of the poem states he simply “went down town” (Line 1), an action any regular person takes routinely. In many ways, looking at Cory, Cory’s physical appearance entices his voyeurs. The first three stanzas of this four-stanza poem are concerned with looks and appearances. However, this is the deep irony of the poem, as one of the poem’s messages is that appearances are deceiving.

The townspeople are very keen to point out the most captivating of Cory’s physical qualities. They describe that he is a gentleman before describing his looks and mannerisms, proclaiming their assumptions about who he is and the life he leads before examining the details. They say he was clean and thin in a regal or graceful way, “Clean favored, and imperially slim” (Line 4), but these qualities still tell us nothing about Cory’s life. In the second stanza, the townspeople notice that he doesn’t flaunt his wealth with gaudy clothes and treats everyone with decency and respect. In truth, these qualities are not particularly extraordinary. In many ways, these are arbitrary physical traits of thinness, good cleanliness habits, and humility. The speakers insist, “But still he fluttered pulses when he said, / ‘Good-morning,’ and he glittered when he walked” (Lines 7-8). The townspeople pick up on something about Cory that evades description; this man has a certain alluring quality—even saying “Good morning” to people feels like a special moment. The following image of Cory, that he “glittered when he walked” (Line 8), seems to be particularly misleading, as it describes a man with a spring in his step, perhaps even a man who is passionate about life. It is important to remember that this description is being filtered through the town’s viewpoint as narrators. Because they don’t know everything about Cory’s life, the townspeople are unreliable narrators. As much as they think they know, there is no way they could have a proper understanding of Richard Cory as a whole person, especially from their limited perspective.

The third stanza tries to provide an answer as to why this man is so perfect: “And he was rich—yes, richer than a king—” (Line 9). The opening of the stanza with “And” acts as a continuation of the ongoing conversation, proving an answer to the one question the readers and townspeople alike cannot help themselves but to ask: Is he rich? The speakers are confirming this suspicion and describe the privileges that wealth has bestowed upon him: “And admirably schooled in every grace” (Line 10). After this description of wealth and education, the townspeople declare that he was everything they wanted to be. They “wish” (Line 12) to be in his place. The townspeople have observed Richard Cory from the outside in; they have seen his wealth, clothes, and manners and have concluded that his life is better than theirs and he must be happier than them. After all, how could he not be? He has money, nice things, and opportunities, and the townspeople feel that they have nothing in comparison.

In the opening lines of the final stanza, the townspeople feel defeated. They cast down their eyes and focus on their work, waiting for something better to happen to them. They cannot even enjoy life’s simple pleasures like meat because it is too expensive. This negative attitude bleeds into feeling ungrateful for the small things they have, like bread, which they curse out of anger that they don’t have something more or better. Meanwhile, during one “calm summer night” (Line 15), an image typically associated with feelings of warmth and peace, Richard Cory goes home to his perfect life and kills himself.

The explanation for Richard Cory’s drastic and tragic actions is up to interpretation, and the exact reason behind his suicide remains a mystery within the poem’s context. If the townspeople knew what it was honestly like to be Richard Cory, they may not have wanted his life in exchange for theirs at all. While the townspeople are busy looking at Cory, valuing his material items, upper-class status, and good manners, we never learn about anything of substance in Cory’s life. It is impossible to know the details of Cory’s life, whether he has a loving family, good health, a difficult past, or unbearable stress just by looking at him, and the same principle applies to all people. Thus, the townspeople make a considerable oversight. They let the appeal of material goods and physical attractiveness get in the way of seeing what truly matters, what makes a person’s life good or meaningful, or the understanding that even all the good looks and material wealth in the world cannot make a person happy. And, to take it a step further, the townspeople have made themselves unhappy, “cursing the bread” (Line 14), by comparing themselves to this man they hardly know. Almost like a fable, this poem brings a few adages to mind: Comparison is the thief of joy, money cannot buy happiness, and looks can be deceiving. You truly never know what someone is going through until you walk a mile in their shoes.