Edwin Arlington Robinson – "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy"

Edwin Arlington Robinson's "Richard Cory" is a great portrayal of Realism. The poem is about a man who seems to have everything he needs (Robinson, "Richard"). All of his neighbors are jealous of him and he dresses and carries himself, but in the end of the poem, Richard Cory kills himself (Robinson, "Richard"). "He was a gentleman from sole to crown, clean favored, and imperially slim. 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" (Robinson, "Richard"). This exert from the poem is a definite description of Realism because it tells what really happens, and it describes life as it really is. All of Richard Cory's neighbors thought that he was the best person ever (Robinson, "Richard"). They practically thought he was a god, but there was obviously something wrong with him because he killed himself (Robinson, "Richard"). This represents Realism because it is real and it is what really happened.

Another poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson called "Miniver Cheevy" is about a man who loves all kinds of things and scorns others, but he is really just a drunk who is prtty much crazy (Robinson, "Miniver"). "Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn, grew lean while he assailed the seasons; He wept that he was ever born, and he had reasons...Miniver loved the days of old when swords were bright and steeds were prancing; the vision of a warrior bold would set him dancing...Miniver Cheevy. born too late, scratched his head and kept on thinking; Miniver coughed, and called it fate, and kept on drinking" (Robinson, "Miniver"). This poem represents Realism because it tells what Miniver Cheevy is thinking and what his life is really like. The poem could be taken two ways. Either Miniver Cheevy is drinking because he is upset that he was not born in Meideval times, or because of his drinking, he somehow feels that he should be a night in shining army. Either way that it is taken, this poem represents Realism because it tells the reader what is really going on in Minivel Cheevy's head.

Religion, government, the American Dream, the Hero, figurative language, and nature do not really have an important part in either of these two poems, but human nature and psychology both have a pretty large role in them. Psychology and human nature is used in "Richard Cory" because everyone is jealous of Richard Cory- jealousy being a part of human nature- but something was going on in Richard Cory's life which made him want to kill himself (Robinson, "Richard"). "Miniver Cheevy" has psychology in it because Miniver Cheevy is kind of a crazy man, and he somehow believes that he should be living in Medieval times (Robinson, "Miniver"). Neither of the poems really reflect their time period either. "Richard Cory" somewhat reflects society because all of Richard Cory's neighbors are extremely jealous of him and everything that he has (Robinson, "Richard").

Works Cited:

Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Miniver Cheevy." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 576. Print.

Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 575. Print.