Vulgamore 1

Patrick Vulgamore
Professor Singleton
ENG 252
17 April 2015
Isolation in Richard Cory
Edwin Arlington Robinson lived a lonely life full of hardships. Raised in Gardiner,
Maine, he endured social separation, romantic and marital rejection, the death of his parents, and
the unpopularity of his work. His troubles were often depicted in his poetry, which held a
gloomy, pessimistic attitude towards life. At the same time, there existed a strong dissonance
between social classes. The lower-class resented the upper-class, believing they were the source
of their troubles. Conversely, the upper-class resented the lower-class, considering them lazy and
a hindrance to society. Richard Cory, a four-stanza poem published in 1897, is about a man
who seemingly has everything, but commits suicide anyway. This poem illustrates Robinsons
idea of human isolation in his own life and between the lives of people in different social classes,
and it offers an insightful opportunity to explore Marxism.
Robinsons troubles began at birth. His parents, suspecting a girl, failed to name him for
six months (Smith). As a result, Edwin Arlington Robinsons name was the product of a namelottery. He grew to hate the name, especially the nickname Win, and would sign it E.A.
whenever possible. As a child, Robinson was shy, quiet, and often overshadowed by his older
brother Herman. The most notable disharmony between the brothers came with Emma Shepherd
who, after refusing Robinsons proposal, married Herman in 1890. Robinsons tragedies began
six years later, as his father, mother, and brother Dean perished unexpectedly. Herman, after
plunging his family into poverty, became an alcoholic and eventually died of Tuberculosis. The

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combination of these events and the rest of Robinsons life fueled his writing for the years to
come (Smith).
After Hermans death, Emma believed Robinsons Richard Cory to be analogous to the
story of her late husband. In the poem, the speaker says, But still he fluttered pulses when he
said / Good-morning, and he glittered when he walked (7-8). The speaker goes on to say, In
fine, we thought that he was everything / To make us wish that we were in his place (11-12).
While this story may not be specifically about his brother, there are connections. Robinson
clearly envied the life of his brother Herman, who seemed to receive everything Robinson
desired. This is reflected in the poem as the speaker describes all the qualities that make us wish
that we were in his place, only to end with Corys suicide, which can be construed as Hermans
spiral into alcoholism. Interpreted this way, Richard Cory displays Robinsons confusion with
Hermans self-destructive tendencies regardless of Hermans wife and two children. To
Robinson, Herman had the perfect life, and to dispose of it so easily did not make sense. As the
last surviving member of his family and with no hope of marrying Emma, Robinson was more
isolated than ever. In addition to Robinsons brother, Richard Cory can be applied to the
isolation found in a class-based society.
In the poem, it is easy to say that Richard Cory is wealthy, healthy, and generally
admired. This is clear in the words of his observers, who hold him in the highest esteem.
However, despite his good fortune, Cory is unhappy enough to commit suicide. Therefore, we
must assume that in order to be happy, Cory must need something other than wealth, health, and
admiration. To be happy, he must have companionship. Richard Corys high social status isolates
him from others for two reasons: because there are historically far fewer rich individuals than
poor, making it difficult for Cory to relate to many others, and because the underprivileged

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individuals have little to nothing in common with Cory. His isolation results in a sadness that
eventually leads to suicide. This situation is representative of the disharmony of social classes at
the time. Those of one class found difficulty associating with another, causing envy, anger, and a
sadness similar to that depicted in Richard Cory. If Robinson had meant his poem to portray
the oppression of the poor, he would have focused on a suicidal member of the lower-class.
However, Robinson creates Richard Cory to show that isolation leads to self-destruction
regardless of wealth or social status. Cory is not unhappy because he has more than everyone
else. He is unhappy because he is missing companionship, a vital aspect of the human condition
which, Robinson suggests, is more important than material possessions, charm, or fame. This
take on class struggles is one of the main points of contemporary Marxism.
Marxists consider economics the one driving force of an all-encompassing superstructure
(Parker 231). From politics to philosophy, monetary wealth and the wealth of possessions guide
individuals to the benefit or detriment of society. A classical Marxist might suggest that Richard
Cory is just a casualty of Capitalism, unwillingly pushed toward suicide as a result of his status.
Richard Cory seems to undermine this idea. If economics were the one basis of society, then
how do we explain Corys fatal desire for companionship? If anything, companionship should be
a useful motivator in an economic society. But Corys wealth condemns him to an isolated life
and ends in his suicide, a situation opposite to how an economically-based society would work.
One could say Robinsons poem directly challenges Marxist ideals, but this is not the case.
Robinson would not have focused on a suffering rich man, but rather on poverty or broader
impacts of the economically-based system. So, which is more likely: a flawed theory or a flawed
system?

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Contemporary Marxists, such as Louis Althusser, take a more flexible view. They find
difficulty in applying only economics to largely creative areas of the superstructure, such as art
or literature (Parker 231). These Marxists suggest the superstructure is relatively autonomous,
meaning that some elements can slightly act against or resist the drive of economics (235).
Applying this idea to Richard Cory results in a metaphysical warning along the lines of,
resistance is futile. Corys drive for companionship is a slight resistance to the economy. In
response, Cory is purged from society. Additionally, Cory could be suffering from falseconsciousness, which states that people assume an act is for themselves when, in reality, they act
against their own interests. This idea is far clearer in regards to Cory. While we are not given
much of his background, we can assume that Cory did not have an obligation to his wealth. He
could have easily given it up or changed locations. Instead, Cory gathers wealth, suffers
isolation, and commits suicide. He believes suicide is in his interest, but he fails to see how the
act will affect the people who admire him and whose affection he craves. This presents a
dilemma, though, as relative autonomy and false consciousness make it exceedingly difficult to
determine whether Richard Cory was a casualty of Capitalism, a warning against resisting the
drive of the economy, just another cog in the system, or the victim of something else altogether.
While it is impossible to discern Robinsons true meaning with Richard Cory, the poem
helps us understand important aspects of life. We see isolation in the poem and in Robinsons
own unfortunate life, highlighting the importance of companionship. We see isolation in classbased society, as the common people view Cory as royalty or a celebrity. Finally, we see strong
Marxist themes at work within Richard Cory, exemplifying the theory and helping to explain
many complex concepts. Unfortunately, as it goes with many theories that attempt to explain the
human condition fully, Marxism supplies a circular and ambiguous way of thinking that falls

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short in explaining anything but Marxism itself. Nonetheless, Robinsons poem Richard Cory
has withstood the test of time, and will remain a powerful topic of study for decades to come.

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Works Cited
Leonard, James S. "Richard Cory." 1897. Anthology of American Literature. By George
McMichael. 10th ed. Vol. 2. 1120-121. Print.
Parker, Robert Dale. How to Interpret Literature: Critical Theory for Literary and Cultural
Studies. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2008. Print.
Smith, Danny D. "Biography of Edwin Arlington Robinson." Edwin Arlington Robinson.
Gardiner Public Library. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.