Richard Cory

[JaySecrets]

So this poem was a morality tale that was rather dark for children back when it was written. It's always fascinated me. The simplicity of the storytelling and the dark turn at the end. So here's the challenge. Write a poem that tells a story, and you can decide whether or not it has a morality tale aspect or not, that takes a very unexpected turn at the end, but a turn that makes sense if you go back and read it again. I'm going to post the original poem here and then let you guys take off with it. I will give you my own contribution to it before the day's out.

 

[JaySecrets]

Richard Cory​

BY EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON
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.

 

[Kristal_1976]

Richard Cory​

BY EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON
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.

I think I'd read the last stanza of this before, or at least it seems very familiar didn't realize there was more to it

 

[Tzara]

I think I'd read the last stanza of this before, or at least it seems very familiar didn't realize there was more to it

You may be remembering the Paul Simon song that was based on the poem.

 

[JaySecrets]

You may be remembering the Paul Simon song that was based on the poem.

Thank you for that. I actually did not know Paul Simon had done a song like that. Not that it's surprising because the man is brilliant. But still thank you. That goes on my Spotify playlist.

 

[Bigtitsbitch1000x]

E.A. Robinson was a Populist poet.

In his great jeremiad on Dylan Thomas, Rexroth asked,
"What happened to Robinson,
Who used to stagger down Eighth Street,
Dizzy with solitary gin?"

I always equated this poem with Thoreau's "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." I was terrified when I first read it.

We all need more 19th century based radical culture.

This began at the end of the 17th century and, the Goddess willing, will reappear in the 21st:

( . )( . )

 

[JaySecrets]

So here's the piece I promised a while back but didn't get a chance to do till now. I hope you guys do enjoy this one. I obviously built this based on the original but decided to reverse the story. There are lines that feel a little weak at times... And I think I will end up doing something else on this thread too. But for now, I hope you guys let me know what you think of this one.

Richard Cory Remix

Whenever Richard Cory walked down town,
We better people barely looked at him:
He was an outcast soul from sole to crown,
Ill favored, and impoverishedly thin.

And he was always shabbily arrayed,
And he was always broken when he talked;
And teardrops seemed to tremble when he said,
"Good-morning," and he stumbled when he walked.

And he was poor—yes, poorer than us all—
And utterly unschooled in any grace:
In full, we thought him worthless, small,
And we were glad we were not in his place.

But on we worked, and hated through each day,
And mumbled over meat, and cursed our plight;
And Richard Cory, found a quiet peace his way,
A smile in darkness living living in hope's light.

 

[JaySecrets]

E.A. Robinson was a Populist poet.

In his great jeremiad on Dylan Thomas, Rexroth asked,
"What happened to Robinson,
Who used to stagger down Eighth Street,
Dizzy with solitary gin?"

I always equated this poem with Thoreau's "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." I was terrified when I first read it.

We all need more 19th century based radical culture.

This began at the end of the 17th century and, the Goddess willing, will reappear in the 21st:

( . )( . )

So I love the comparison and the thoughts, and the video of definitely powerful. Just not sure the connection.

 

[Bigtitsbitch1000x]

So I love the comparison and the thoughts, and the video of definitely powerful. Just not sure the connection.

Rexroth wrote to protest, among other issues, the end of the old radical literary culture in America. Robinson, who he knew, was a major representative of that tradition.

( . )( . )

 

[Kristal_1976]

You may be remembering the Paul Simon song that was based on the poem.

Oh okay yea maybe that does ring a big bell

 

[JaySecrets]

LOL... Was really hoping this would become about Richard Cory-esq poems, not about the impact of the poem itself. But I am glad to have learned about the song, so there's that.