Richard Cory

Edwin Arlington Robinson

Whenever Richard Cory went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him: He was a gentleman from sole to crown, Clean-favoured and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed, 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 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 in his head.

Poetry Lesson Plan: Teaching Richard Cory

Written by: Jessica Cook Edited by: Trent Lorcher Updated Oct 20, 2009 Related Guides: High School This Richard Cory poetry lesson plan for high school English incorporates tabloid journalism and poetry to help students understand the central purpose of a poem. By relating their knowledge of celebrities to the poem, "Richard Cory," students will be able to analyze the purpose of the poem.
Richard Cory Lesson Plan Introduction

Teenagers may not always like poetry, but most of them love celebrities. You can incorporate your students' idols into this high school English poetry lesson plan on the poem, "Richard Cory." Your students will begin to see that sometimes poetry resembles life, even their own lives.
Richard Cory Lesson Plan: Before Reading

Bring in a few copies of celebrity photographs and display them in front of the room. You may also want to have a few celebrity gossip magazines or tabloids on hand. Make sure you include a variety of celebrities that your students will recognize, including musicians, actors, and athletes. Ask students to identify what they know (or think they know) about these celebrities. Write down their ideas on the board, underneath each celebrity photo. Tell students that they are going to read a poem about someone who was famous in his town. Pass out copies of Edwin Arlington Robinson's poem, "Richard Cory."
Richard Cory Lesson Plan: During Reading

As students read the poem, ask them to identify characteristics of Richard Cory: What does he look like? How does he behave? What kind of person is he? Have them list these characteristics in a chart, including a reference from the poem to support their answers. For example, a student might say that Richard Cory takes good care of himself; they know this because he is described as being "clean-favored and imperially slim" at the end of the first stanza.
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Students should be able to identify at least one to two characteristics about Richard Cory for each stanza of the poem.
After Reading

When they finish reading, ask students to think about the list of celebrity characteristics they made in the beginning of class. Ask them to consider which of the statements are the truth, and which ones are gossip or assumptions. Discuss the difference between someone's public persona and their real self. Now re-examine the charts students made as they read the poem. Have them circle the characteristics they feel are truthful, and underline the ones they believe are assumptions made by the townspeople. Discuss who Richard Cory really was vs. who the town thought he was. How did this work out for Richard Cory? How does it sometimes work out for today's celebrities? Now students can write an essay or short response comparing their own experiences or knowledge about celebrities to the poem. This will help them learn to make text-to-self connections as they read. They could also extend this activity by creating an illustration of themselves; on one side, they can include things that are true, and on the other side they can include the things people perceive about them. This activity will help you get to know your students better, especially if you allow them to keep it as a confidential assignment between you and them.

Richard Cory: by Edwin Arlington Robinson

Richard Cory is essentially a poem that illustrates an illusion held by an entire community, about a man who is greatly admired for his deportment: "He was a gentleman from soul to crown". Clearly, in the view of the people, Richard is an extraordinary individual. The word "crown" hints at a sense of royalty, although crownalso means the top of his head. So then, he was a gentleman from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. He was a complete gentleman, a highly respected and honorable, noble individual, at least in the eyes of the people who observed him as he "walked". ( student must pay attention to the words used by the speaker to describe Richard Cory). The poem bears the name of the man about whom the narrative speaks. It is a title that gives absolutely nothing away. For example, it is not entitled Richard Cory the Unhappy Man, so there is no hint whatsoever of what is likely to be the story behind Richard's existence as a human being or his relevance to the poem or his community. What the reader soon discovers is that the reality of Richard Cory's life bears no resemblance to the fantasies in the observations of the people on the pavement who admire him from day to day.The views held of Richard Cory by the people is clearly exaggerated. The hyperbolic statement: he was rich- yes richer than a king highlights the people's degree of fantasy. They view him as rich and stately; even his slight, physical frame is deemed to be imperially slim. Richard Cory is imbued with stateliness and such good manners that he "fluttered pulses" when he said good morning and he glittered when he walked. This statement about glittering when he walked has a tinge of sarcasm. It is as though the poet intends this image of aglittering Richard Corey, to be a mockery or critical of the people who are so in need of a hero that their state of mind does not permit them to view Richard Cory as simply an ordinary human with his own set of worries and troubles. We learn far more about the people who observe Richard Cory than about Richard Cory himself.We know his name. Everything else is what the speaker tells us about the the imaginings of the people and we have no way of knowing how reliable this information is. Richard Cory appears distant from the ordinary people. There appears to be no real reason for this degree of admiration. We do not see Richard Corey engaged in any philanthropic activity although the people claim that he is richer than a king. The subject of the poem is clearly human respectability and the reasons people respect each other. It is about how human judgment can be gravely misplaced. We learn that things are not always the way they seem. It is summer time when Richard Cory goes home, takes a gun and shoots himself in the head.Summer is the season of joy and pleasure. It is when people want to live life to the fullest. The irony is that at a time when Richard should be " glittering" he kills himself. This highlights the two perspectives of Richard Cory's life.Richard's reality and the reality adopted by the people. The focus of the poem is mainly the perspective of the narrator who speaks as a representation of the people's view of Richard Cory. The poem reminds us that beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder. Richard Cory's true life is not described in any detail in the poem.The details of his life do not appear to matter very much. The focus of the poem is far more concerned with the people's erroneous view of Richard Cory based solely on observation of externals. The people of the community are impressed by very superficial observations of him. They know little else about him than what they see when he passes them by on the pavement.They know his name and this seems to be the true extent of their knowledge of him. The poem causes the reader to consider the matter of reality versus fantasy. We do not know why Richard Cory committed suicide. The poem leaves speculation concerning the cause of Richard Cory's suicide up to the imagination of the reader. It is as though the narrator is saying that we humans are all alike. We imagine things, and the things imagined become our reality.

Hello by Lionel Richie

I've been alone with you inside my mind And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times I sometimes see you pass outside my door Hello, is it me you're looking for?

I can see it in your eyes I can see it in your smile You're all I've ever wanted, (and) my arms are open wide 'Cause you know just what to say And you know just what to do And I want to tell you so much, I love you I long to see the sunlight in your hair And tell you time and time again how much I care Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow Hello, I've just got to let you know 'Cause I wonder where you are And I wonder what you do Are you somewhere feeling lonely, or is someone loving you? Tell me how to win your heart For I haven't got a clue But let me start by saying, I love you Hello, is it me you're looking for? 'Cause I wonder where you are And I wonder what you do Are you somewhere feeling lonely or is someone loving you? Tell me how to win your heart For I haven't got a clue But let me start by saying I love you

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY

Rain rain go away, come again another day. Rain rain go away, come again another day. Woke up this morning, To a brand new day.

Nothing's gonna stop me or get in my way. Rain hail or shine, I'm ready for it all. I'm feeling right on top, (feeling right on top), And I'm never gonna fall. Rain rain go away, come again another day. Let the sun shine in. Rain rain go away, come again another day. Let the sun, let the sun shine in. Rain rain go away, come again another day. Let the sun shine in.(chorus) Yesterday was gloomy, Left me feeling blue. Better times were coming, Now the sun is shining through. Now that the clouds have moved on by, I can see clearly,(I can see clearly), Nothing's gonna change my mind. Chorus Let the sun shine, let the sun shine in. Let the sun shine, let the sun shine in. Rain rain go away, come again another Rain rain go away, come again another Rain rain go away, come again another Let the sun shine in. Rain rain go away, come again another day. day. day. day.