English "Richard Cory" Homework

Read Edwin Arlington Robinson’s “Richard Cory” and consider the following questions. Then, choose any 7 of these questions and answer them based on what you learned from the Literary Analysis lecture.

· What type of poem is “Richard Cory”? (Epic, Narrative, Ode, etc.)

· Describe the poem’s point of view. (Who is speaking?)

· Paraphrase the action of the poem in your own words. (What literally happens?)

· Look at the poem’s structure; what can you say about its number of stanzas, lines, etc.?

· Describe the rhythm of the poem.

· Describe the setting of “Richard Cory.”

· How does this poem rhyme? Plot the poem’s end rhyme, and find examples of sight rhyme, internal rhyme, and repetition.

· Find an example of each of the following: Alliteration, assonance, and consonance.

· What do you think the theme (purpose) of “Richard Cory” might be? What does the author want us to learn or understand?

· Do you see anything in the poem that might have symbolic meaning? Explain.

· Describe the tone of the poem. (Make note of the tone shift at the end!)

· Describe the poem’s powerful use of situational irony.

· Think about language (formal? casual?) and diction (word choice); what do these contribute to the poem?