Edwin Arlington
Robinson
Family Misfortune
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
Both of his parents died
before he was thirty.
One of his brothers was
an alcoholic; the other, a
drug addict. Both died
at early ages.
When he was six years
old, he wondered why
he had been born.
Pessimist?...

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Robinson wrote poetry
all his life, and many
were “character
studies.”
The subjects of his
poems are people
frustrated by life and
who lack a sense of
direction.
Most of his poems are
written with an ironic
tone and end tragically.
Above: Miniver Cheevy was one of
Robinson’s most notable characters.
…Not Really

Robinson was not a
true pessimist
◦ He felt that life has
meaning despite its
hardships and that there
is hope beyond the “black
and awful chaos of the
night.”
A Struggle That Paid Off
Robinson struggled for
success from the get go,
though he spent all his
free time writing poetry.
 At one point, he caught
the attention of President
Teddy Roosevelt, who
gave him a cushy job so
he could spend more
time writing.
 By the time he died,
Robinson had won three
Pulitzer Prizes and
became one of America’s
favorite poets.

Richard Cory
Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
The people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, 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 through his head.
Richard Cory: Another Version
They say that Richard Cory owns one half of this whole town,
With political connections to spread his wealth around.
Born into society, a banker's only child,
He had everything a man could want: power, grace, and style.
The papers print his picture almost everywhere he goes:
Richard Cory at the opera, Richard Cory at a show.
And the rumor of his parties and the orgies on his yacht!
Oh, he surely must be happy with everything he's got.
He freely gave to charity, he had the common touch,
And they were grateful for his patronage and thanked him very much,
So my mind was filled with wonder when the evening headlines read:
"Richard Cory went home last night and put a bullet through his head.“
But I work in his factory
And I curse the life I'm living
And I curse my poverty
And I wish that I could be,
Oh, I wish that I could be,
Oh, I wish that I could be
Richard Cory.
Richard Cory: What Lies Behind
Emma Löehen
(Shepherd) Robinson
(1865–1940), wife of
Herman Edward
Robinson.
Herman Edward
Robinson (1865-1909),
second of three sons of
Edward and Mary
Robinson.