The Use Of Diction In Richard Cory By Edwin Arlington Robinson

In Edwin Arlington Robinson’s “Richard Cory,” Robinson employs diction that sets us up to believe that Richard Cory is everything that anyone would want to be. The name “Richard” even sounds of royalty and riches; many kings had the name Richard and the word “rich” is within the name itself. The townspeople view him as “imperially slim,” as “a gentleman from sole to crown,” (830) and was even described as “richer than a king” (831). Richard Cory “went downtown” and the townspeople referred to themselves as the “people on the pavement” (830), signifying that Richard lived an upscale life and was a man that people would step off the sidewalk so he may pass. The word choice of the poet leads the audience to believe Richard is a man that has it