A Shocking Irony in Edwin Robinson's Poem Richard Cory

In the poem, Richard Cory, Robinson describes the character, Richard Cory, as being wealthy, generous, handsome, and courteous. Regardless of his social status, Richard Cory, greets the townspeople, who thought that he was perfect. At the end of the poem, Robinson surprise the reader by stating that Richard Cory had shot and killed himself.

The people of the town were blind to see that Richard Cory was unhappy. Richard Cory was generous and kind to all the townspeople because he wanted a friend.

He greeted in hope of starting a conversation so maybe he could meet someone. The townspeople only knew him because of his wealth and in the same sense they were afraid of it.

The townspeople didn’t know how lucky they really were. Just because they didn’t have the wealth of Richard Cory they thought they were poor, but actually they were rich, not with money but with love and friendship. They were blind as they cursed the bread.

Richard Cory would have gave anything to have what the townspeople had and that was a friend.

The reason why Richard Cory went home and shot himself is because that he had no one to enjoy his wealth and life with him. While the townspeople were sitting around together at their dinner tables without meat, and coursing their bread, Richard Cory sat around his dinner table with his meat but very lonely, and sad.