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1. Read Robinson's "Richard Cory". Compare and contrast the two poems. What do you think Robinson's purpose was in writing "Richard Cory", and how does it relate to the purpose of "Miniver Cheevy"? Analyze in terms of tone, diction, rhyme scheme, and structure.

Richard Cory

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.

And he was rich—yes, richer than a king—
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.

2. Read Robinson's biography again. Using examples from "Miniver Cheevy", "Richard Cory", and the biography, describe the main characteristics of these examples of Robinson's poetry. Compare these characteristics to major events in his life and describe how these events shaped him as a writer. Please use examples, if possible.