Analysis of the figuritive language in th Poems Richard Cory by Edwin Arlinton Robinson and Paul Simon - Essay Example

Judging the Poetic Language of the Two Versions of Richard Cory The definition of poetic language changes over time; hence the criteria in judging poetic language also vary from one epoch to another. According to Mukarovsky, poetic language should “purify utterance of all extra-logical considerations” (11) such as beauty, concreteness, emotiveness, individuality and figurativeness. For her, poetic language should represent “the entire existential experience of the author and better yet the perceiver” (Mukarovsky11).

The true test of poetic language is thus its ability to mirror the truth about human experience and to exceed the boundaries of time. Applying these criteria in the two versions of Richard Cory would help decide which of the two poems is more deserving of merit. Published in 1897, Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson is the original version of the poem. Robinson depicts the despair and death of a wealthy man in his poem. Basically, the language used is folkloric. A folklore is an oral tradition handed down from one generation to another.

Thus, the character of Richard Cory and his experience appears to be a hearsay, a myth. The linguistic elements of the poem support this idea. First, the lines of the poem strictly follow a common rhythmic pattern with the first and third lines and the second and fourth lines rhyming. This may seem awkward when reporting about suicide as it negates the natural utterance of a suicide narrative. Second, the line of thought makes the language appear climactic, thus making the poem appear too literary and stilted.

Like any narrative, the poem starts with the introduction of the character, thus in the first stanza, Richard Cory is described as “a gentleman from sole to crown, / clean-favored and imperially slim” (l. 3–4). Then, the introduction is supported by other details, thus: And admirably schooled in every grace: In fine -- we thought that he was everything To make us wish that we were in his place. (l. 9–12) These lines further build up the character of Richard Cory. Towards the end comes the irony, which is usually used to produce a twist and emphasize the point of the author, “And Richard Cory, one calm summer night / Went home and put a bullet in his head” (l. 15–16). The structure of the poem and the language used to effect the structure also fail to achieve a truthful and natural account of a tragedy.

Note that in narrating a tragedy, one usually starts with the ending or the death before going into the details, but the reverse is done in the poem. As such, the language and structure fail to mirror the real human experience and in turn may fall short of the ability to convince the contemporary reader. The version written by Paul Simon shares some of the qualities of the original version. Just like the other, this version is folkloric and even balladic. First, it depicts the same theme of suicide by a wealthy and envied man.

Second, the poem also uses the same structure in which the character is introduced in the beginning, thus “They say Richard Cory owns one-half of this whole town” (l.1). Similarly, the tragic experience is used to produce the irony at the end. However, Simon uses a more natural language with the occurrence of the rhyme only to emphasize the emotion of the persona. For example, the repetition of the lines, “Oh I wish that I could be, and I wish that I could be Richard Cory” (l.4, 14, 21) produces a balladic effect yet instead of just stating information, it sinks in the mind of the readers and imparts a human experience (of envy), which is common to every person.

As such, the language used allows the readers to reflect on their own feelings about the central character and relate to the experience being shared by the persona. Moreover, although the structure of the poem illustrates the standard structure of a narrative, the inclusion of the first-person perspective motivates the reader to investigate not only the character of Richard Cory but more so the character of the speaker. Therefore, while it is difficult for the readers to relate with the dilemma of Richard Cory, it becomes easier for them to relate with the experience of the speaker.

Furthermore, in adding the reflections of the narrator, Simon uses transitions that are more indicative of natural utterances such as “oh,” “but,” and “so,” whereas Robinson uses “and” most of the time. Basically, the language of the two poems demonstrate a more mimetic quality of Simon’s version of Richard Cory. Likewise, the narrative perspective that Simon employed in his version allows a more timeless rendition of the poem. Moreover, the structure of the poem, which makes use of rhyme and repetition to emphasize the author’s point makes the poem more captivating and memorable.

Indeed, Simon’s version illustrates the ideal characteristics of poetic language according to Mukarovsky. Nevertheless, Robinson should not be totally discredited for his version of Richard Cory. Rather, Simon and literary readers should thank him for his poem on Richard Cory, which successfully teaches us about an important fact of life that money cannot buy us happiness. Works Cited Mukarovsky, Jan. On Poetic Language. London: Yale University Press, 1976. Richard Cory. Youtube, 1966. Music Video.

Accessed 20 May 2010. Robinson, Edwin Arlington. “Richard Cory.” Mirrors: An Introduction to Literature. Ed. In Knott, J. & Reaske, C. Michigan: Canfield Press, 1972, p. 211. Simon, P. & Garfunkel, A. “Richard Cory.” Sounds of Silence. Sony Music, 2001. CD.