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Poetry Comparison: The Waking And Richard Cory

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The Waking and Richard Cory are two poems in different times, places and settings but still similar in many ways. Both these poems have themes of wealth, beauty and the meaning of life. Though the major difference in the theme is the idea of mortality. The Waking by Theodore Roethke and Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson are both poems that use a variety of poetic devices to carry their themes and messages.

Richard Cory is a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson in 1897. It tells a story of a handsome and wealthy man named Richard Cory who is admired by people in his community but takes his own life due to feelings of dissatisfaction and unhappiness. This poem is written from the perspective of the people in the community and shows the disconnect between their perceptions of Richard and his …show more content…

The poem also has themes of growth and change and the struggle to find meaning in life. The poem “Richard Cory” by Edwin Arlington Robinson and “The Waking” by Theodore Roethke are both poems about the lives of men, but the two poems differ in their approach to the subject. In “Richard Cory”, Robinson paints a picture of a man who is admired by all those around him, yet in the end, he takes his own life. The poem is written from an outside perspective, with no insight into Richard Cory's inner thoughts or feelings. On the other hand, “The Waking” is written from a first-person perspective, allowing readers to gain insight into the speaker's thoughts and feelings as he reflects on his life and what it means to him. The speaker in “The Waking” is more introspective than Richard Cory and comes to terms with his life through self-reflection. The two poems present different perspectives on life and how one can come to terms with it. Both Richard Cory and The Waking deal with themes of beauty, wealth and the search for meaning in life. Richard Cory is more of a straightforward narrative poem and tells the story of one man, while The Waking is more

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