Page 271 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

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 8

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, 12
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 16

a bullet through his head.

Thinking about the Poem

1. The example in this poem is a typical example, not to be taken

as a specific instance but as a composite of many specific

instances. It lets a reader know how Richard Cory and the

townspeople ordinarily behaved when they saw one another.
Based on the examples, how were the circumstances of

Richard Cory and the townspeople different? How did he treat

them? How did they react to him?

2. Narrative often makes a point by depicting a change that takes

place. What is the change in this narrative? Is it unexpected?

The author leaves it up to the reader to decide what the point of
the change is, since Cory’s suicide is never explained. What is

the point?

3. Description is used in the poem to paint a visual picture of

Richard Cory. What does he look like? What does his