Edwin Arlington Robinson was a well-known American poet who wrote a number of different works over the course of his life. Two of these works seem to touch on somewhat similar issues, although they differ in some important ways. These two poems are “Richard Corey” and “Miniver Cheevy.” These works appear to be stories about men who are unhappy with their lives, but who seek resolution of those feelings through different methods. Both Richard Cory and Miniver Cheevy were unhappy men who tried to hide away from their unhappiness by seeking resolution from the outside world, and ultimately engaged in self-destructive behavior of one kind or another, but there are also some important differences between the two. While Richard may have been the one who was more successful by society's standards, it was Miniver Cheevy who was able to find enough happiness to keep himself going. Richard Corey is a man who, by the end of the poem, clearly appeared to be deeply troubled. Suicide is definitely the most obvious hint that an individual was dealing with some serious underlying problems during their life. It wasn't obvious just how troubled he was until the final line of the poem, but it becomes …show more content…
Richard Cory's solution was to obtain wealth and the respect of his peers, while Miniver Cheevy tried to resolve his feelings by dreaming about a better life and drinking. From the outside, it would appear to those who knew them that Richard Cory was the more successful one. He had all the money and respect, while Miniver was stuck with a daydream and a bottle. However, while Miniver may have been seen as significantly less happy or successful on the outside, at least his story did not end in his demise. When these two stories are compared, it really does bring into question some common notions that people have about success and