Richard Cory by Edward Arlington Robinson
...ilbury Town poems though they are in fact about Gardiner, Maine where Robinson spent most of his early years. Robinson was born in 1869 to Edward Robinson, a timber merchant and civic leader. He was the youngest of three sons; the elder brother, Herman seemed destined to manage the family fortune; Dean, the middle child became a doctor and Edwin was free to turn to poetry. He began writing at the age of eleven and attended the poetry society in Gardiner while in high school as the youngest member of the group. He attended Harvard from 1891 to 1893 but was forced to leave due to the dwindling fortunes of his family and his mother’s failing health. Robinson’s father died in 1892 and by 1899 the Robinson family was bankrupt. Tragedy continued to haunt the family with Dean, the middle son becoming addicted to morphine and Herman turning to alcohol. These tragedies understandably had an impact on the life of Robinson and most likely contributed to characters like “Richard Cory.” This setting of this poem is a provincial town in which the townspeople are engrossed with the life of “Richard Cory.” The townspeople seem to be in awe of Cory as “he fluttered pulses when he said, “good-morning”. His wealth, his appearance and his demeanor bespeak of a man who had everything life could offer and his less fortunate neighbors all envied his position and longed to live the life he was living. They continued to work and long for a better life and though it is not specifically said it seems the appearance of Cory in the town made their exis...