Figueroa 1
Raul Figueroa
Professor Martin
English V01B
26 February 2018
Imagery and connotation in Edwin Arlington Robinsons “Richard Cory”
Famous American author and U.S politician, Clare Boothe Luce once said, “Money can’t
buy happiness, but it can make you awfully comfortable while you’re being miserable.” This
quote can be used to attest the main idea to Edwin Arlington Robinsons poem, “Richard Cory”.
The key character depicted in Robinsons poem, is a man named Richard Cory, who was well
respected, yet envied at the same time by all the townspeople due to his wealth and class. That
was until one day, out of the blue, the man who was looked upon by so many, committed suicide
proving that while he was thought to have it all, he was miserable deep down inside. In the poem
“Richard Cory”, Robinson uses the literary elements of imagery and connotation to express and
prove the theme that while one tends to think that money can buy anything, or that money is the
answer to all of one’s problems, it can’t buy happiness no matter how much one tries to fill it
through material objects.
The beginning of the poem really emphasizes on introducing Richard Cory as a movie
star or celebrity of some sort, which is done through visual imagery. Robinson uses so many
descriptive words, that one can’t help, but to imagine and visualize Richard Cory. These two
simple lines; “He was a gentleman from sole to crown, / Clean favored, and imperially slim.”
(Lines 3-4) support the image that’s created in the readers mind. They describe Richard Cory as
a person of interest, who was very well dressed from head to toe, just like a king. Not only does
the image reflect him as a king, but goes on to give detail that he was skinny and tall with good
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manners. The overall picture that Robinson is trying to get across is to get the reader to
understand how highly Richard Cory is viewed by these townspeople.
Not only can Richard Cory be visualized through the descriptions used by Robinson, but
real emotions can be felt thanks to the tactile images created. They really help the reader
understand what type of man Richard Cory. For example, the lines mentioned below:
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
“Good-morning,” …………………. (5-8)
show Richard Cory was a man that brought butterflies to the people’s stomach or how they got
chills when he talked to them, even if it was just something as simple as a “hello” or “good–
