Richard Cory, the main hero of Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem, seemed like a true gentleman; a person who belonged to the upper class and enjoyed the advantages to which he was entitled. The man was neatly dressed, polite to others, had good manners. He seemed to enjoy his walks around the city where he could meet less fortunate people; those who belonged to working class. The speaker of the poem was one of those people. It is obvious that his friends and he envied Richard because he was richer than anybody else and did not have to work as hard as they did. Who could imagine that this well-off man was so miserable and unhappy? What had driven him to put a bullet through his head and end his luxurious life? Let’s try to find out.

A hero from the poem had a prototype in real life. He was a famous rich gentleman who lived in the same town as the author. He was an only child of the parents to whom belonged a large part of the city. Everybody dreamed of being him but then suddenly he killed himself for no reason. This American poem exposed the hardships of the rich man’s life and with the help of irony showed that rich people could be extremely unhappy and suicidal as well.

The life that seemed so perfect is not so perfect after all. The author does not explain Richard’s reason for suicide, and the last line of the poem shocks and confuses the readers. Only after the poem is read to the end, it becomes clear that all the metaphors and epithets used to describe Mr. Cory are ironical. The point that the author is trying to make is that wealth is not a key to happiness. Apparently, Richard Cory was lonely, depressed and perhaps tired of his life. Maybe all he wanted is to feel understood, cared for and appreciated. He tried to be nice to people, but they still envied him and talked about him behind his back. What these people could not understand is that material possession, impeccable manners and fine appearance do not ensure peace of mind. Maybe this incident will make them rethink their lives and realize that one should be happy with what one got.

Some critics consider this poem a modern ballad, and it is hard not to agree. Although it consists of four stanzas and has an alternate rhyming scheme, it is rather thought-provoking and tragic. By telling a story of this man’s life, it teaches the readers a moral lesson that happiness cannot be bought.