Whether a poetry fanatic or not a fan of poetry, everyone can have a favorite poem. I’d like to share mine and my reasons why it is my favorite, and I’d love to hear yours as well. So, here is my favorite:
Richard Cory
by Edwin Arlington Robinson
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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—yes, 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.
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I discovered this poem during one of my English classes back in high school, and have liked it ever since, even though I’m not a big fan of poetry. It is short and has a strong ending, both of which I like, as well as the fact that it is deceiving in the sense that the first time I read the ending, I was entirely surprised. I think part of the reason I like it is I find it similar to my style of writing, or perhaps how I want my style of writing to be. Another reason is that I identify with the character – when I struggled with clinical depression (I talk more about this here, if you want to read more) I often went through the same process of internalizing everything and showing a happy face when I was interacting with others, all the while considering the morbid option to end my problems. While I have since recovered, that hasn’t changed my appreciation of the poem.
