HATE, Charlemagne F.

Literary Criticism

Richard Cory: A Marxist Criticism

Sigmund Freud believed that it is impossible to escape the impression

that people commonly use false standards of measurement, that they seek
power, success and wealth for themselves and admire them in others, and
that they underestimate what is of true value in life. This idea is manifested
in the poem written by Edwin Arlington Robinson entitled Richard Cory. The
poem is a revelation of reality of the unfortunate who tends to seek power
and success that others possess and use it to measure ones happiness.
In the poem, the two classes of society are presented; the higher class,
where Richard Cory belongs and the personas social class, the proletariat or
the working class. This is suggested in the first stanza of the poem when the
persona used "we to tell the readers that he is part of the lower class of the
society. Further, the stanza also revealed that Richard Cory, with all the
grace of a gentleman which implied that he is indeed part of the rich
group, is envied by the common people or the people on the pavement.
The speaker continued to describe Richard Cory in the second stanza,
not just his physical attributes but as well as his well-mannered behaviour,
he was always quietly arrayed, always human when he talked and he
glittered when he walked. Although Richard Cory was depicted as superior
to these people, he was humble and polite. Yet the town people were
hesitant of his presence because of the difference of their social status.
On the third stanza, it was revealed that the persona wished that they
were in his place, to have everything they need and want. They admire
him, every inch of him. They long to experience the life of Richard Cory.
Yet everything could just be a wish. So they continued with their
life/work and suffered from the consequences of their poverty, ate what they
could afford, went without the meat and cursed the bread. Then suddenly
the man they thought had everythingput a bullet through his head or
simply ended the life wanted by everyone.
The poem left its reader that ones status could not measure ones
happiness.

As what Mahatma Gandhi said, Seek not greater wealth but

simple pleasure, not higher fortune but deeper felicity.