Richard Cory and Abraham Lincoln

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces, discusses and analyzes the poem "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson. Specifically, the paper compares and contrasts Abraham Lincoln with Richard Cory in the poem. According to the paper, these are two very different men, but they share some common elements.

From the Paper:

"Why did Richard Cory kill himself? The poem does not really answer this, but the poet insinuates that Cory seems to have everything, but it is not enough to make him happy. He is "rich as a king," but that is not the only thing that matters in life, as this poem shows. Happiness comes from contentment and satisfaction with your life and what you do. It seems that Lincoln was probably happy. He was doing an important job, and he had a family that loved him. He never had a lot of money, but he seems as if he was content with his life. In this, he was different than Cory. He would not have chosen to end his life the way Cory did, because he was content, and because he had important responsibilities. Maybe Cory was unhappy because his life was empty, and he did not have important responsibilities, and that would be a big difference between Cory and Lincoln. Lincoln was a success and he worked hard. Cory did not have to work, and he did not seem to have anything to motivate him or make him proud. Lincoln did, and so he had a reason for living, while Cory did not."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Robinson, Edward Arlington. "Richard Cory."
• Browne, Francis Fisher. The Every-Day Life of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1995.

More papers on Richard Cory and Abraham Lincoln:

• Analytical Essay # 16198 : "Richard Cory" and Suicide"
• Poem Review # 117453 : "Richard Cory" and the American Dream"
• Essay # 90112 : "Abraham Lincoln"

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