1. by: William James Gebauer III

2. “Richard Cory” 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.

3. “Richard Cory” 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.

4. Edwin Arlington Robinson  Born Dec. 22 nd, 1869 in Lincoln County, Maine  His parents wanted a girl  They didn’t name him until he was 6 months old when they had a stranger pull a name out of a hat  Unhappy childhood  Sad poems that have to do with “American dream slipping away”

5. Edwin Arlington Robinson  Entered Harvard at 21 years young  Got published in Harvard’s Literary Journal  He thought he was better than he was  “Richard Cory” was about God and his brother Herman after Herman died  Tried to marry his brother’s wife  Teddy Roosevelt gave Edwin a job at the New York Customs Office after his fame rose

6. Edwin Arlington Robinson  Never married  Died of cancer on April 6 th, 1935 in New York

7. Poetic Devices  End-Stop- a metrical line ending at a grammatical boundary or break Ex: “And he was rich—yes, richer than a king—”  Epigram- a pithy, often witty poem Ex: He makes you think why he committed suicide. It is very clever.  Motif- a central or recurring image or action in a literary work that serves an overall theme Ex: He keeps saying Richard Cory is a great guy that is nice and rich.

8. Poetic Devices  Panegyric- a poem of effusive praise Ex: The poem talks about how Richard Cory is a great guy that everyone wants to be.  End Rhyme- a rhyme that occurs in the last syllables of verses Ex: “ And admirably schooled in every grace:” “To make us wish that we were in his place.”

9. Connection  My connection with this is how everyone including myself loved Robin Williams and thought of him as this kind guy. Then for an unknown reason, he suddenly commits suicide like Richard Cory did.