Analysis of the figuritive language in th Poems Richard Cory by Edwin Essay

Analysis of the figuritive language in th Poems Richard Cory by Edwin Arlinton Robinson and Paul Simon - Essay Example Applying these criteria in the two versions of Richard Cory would help decide which of the two poems is more deserving of merit. Published in 1897, Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson is the original version of the poem. Robinson depicts the despair and death of a wealthy man in his poem. Basically, the language used is folkloric. A folklore is an oral tradition handed down from one generation to another. Thus, the character of Richard Cory and his experience appears to be a hearsay, a myth. The linguistic elements of the poem support this idea. First, the lines of the poem strictly follow a common rhythmic pattern with the first and third lines and the second and fourth lines rhyming. This may seem awkward when reporting about suicide as it negates the natural utterance of a suicide narrative. Second, the line of thought makes the language appear climactic, thus making the poem appear too literary and stilted. Like any narrative, the poem starts with the introduction of the cha racter, thus in the first stanza, Richard Cory is described as â€Å"a gentleman from sole to crown, / clean-favored and imperially slim† (l. 3–4).