17 pages • 34 minutes read
Edwin Arlington RobinsonA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
At the beginning of the third stanza, the speakers declare that Cory was richer than royalty, “And he was rich—yes, richer than a king—” (Line 9). This is meant as hyperbole, but it also demonstrates Cory’s wealth and influence on the town. Being compared to a king sets up the power imbalance we see playing out throughout the poem. A king is not just someone rich. They are also someone who is incredibly powerful and has power over others. A king’s influence is more than just a wealthy man’s, and Cory’s power over the town is evident. A king is also a kind of celebrity, especially the way monarchy is viewed today. This comparison works to emphasize the type of reaction Cory would get from people on the street. Even a simple “good morning” from Cory could make someone’s day, and a sighting of him strolling through town was considered a big event, much like seeing a king would be.
In the poem’s final stanza, the townspeople talk about two particular food items: meat and bread. These items are considered food staples in the history of the human diet. Meat, unspecified from which animal, is a recognizable symbol for food of substance worldwide across many cultures, and bread, while sometimes sweet and delicious, is a food without much substance and little nutritional value.
By Edwin Arlington Robinson