Richard Cory (poem)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"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 thus admired by his town. Ultimately he commits suicide for unknown reasons. The poem was adapted by Simon and Garfunkel for their song "Richard Cory".

[edit] 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.

[edit] External links