Selection Focus 4-1 Selection 4 Contents Before You Read Reading the Selection Responding to Literature Click a hyperlink to go to the corresponding.

Before You Read

Reading the Selection

Responding to Literature

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• To read and analyze two poems about people who are unhappy with their lives

Edwin Arlington Robinson was born in 1869 and died in 1935.

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BACKGROUNDThe Time and PlaceMore than sixty of Robinson’s best poems are set in Tilbury Town, a fictional setting modeled on the poet’s hometown, Gardiner, Maine. The characters that Robinson portrayed tend to be loners and misfits as Robinson often felt himself to be. They live in places where people feel pressured to conform and where the creative genius is ignored or misunderstood.

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List IdeasSpend five minutes writing about a time when you felt very sad. What was the cause? How did you deal with the situation?

FOCUS ACTIVITYHave you ever felt extreme sadness?

Setting a PurposeRead to learn about two unhappy characters.

A Active Reading

Question

A B C D E F

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What does the speaker mean when he says that Cory “was always human when he talked”?

He means that Cory was down-to-earth and friendly to others.

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Literary LanguageNote that people watch as Cory travels downtown, just as crowds watch royal processions.

What words or phrases compare Cory to royalty?

The phrases “He was a gentleman from sole to crown,” “imperially slim,” and “richer than a king” compare Cory to royalty.


Literary ElementsB

Does this make Cory’s action at the end of the poem surprising?

Possible answer: The townspeople struggle to survive, while Cory has many luxuries. The lives of the townspeople are outwardly more difficult, which makes Cory’s suicide surprising.

AnalyzingThink about how the lives of the townspeople compare to Cory’s life.


Critical ThinkingC

Connect

D Active Reading

Do you know people who refer to the good old days? Which times in history are these people referring to when they use this phrase? Were these times in history better than today?

Character

Literary ElementsE

According to lines 9–12, what does Cheevy do with his time?

He spends his time dreaming of long-lost days.


What does he not do?

He does not work.

What is the effect of the repetition of the word thought in lines 27–28?

This repetition reinforces the idea that Cheevy either cannot or will not act.

Evaluate


F Active Reading

Personal Response

Analyzing Literature

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PERSONAL RESPONSEWhat was your reaction to the last line in each poem? Give reasons for your answer.


Summarize the speaker’s description of Richard Cory. In what ways does Cory’s life differ from the lives of the “people on the pavement”?

He is rich, well-dressed, and educated. He lives luxuriously compared to the “people on the pavement.”

RECALL AND INTERPRET


What does Richard Cory do “one calm summer night”? What does this action seem to suggest about the people’s view of his life?

He shoots himself in the head, which suggests that his life was not so enviable.



Evaluate how the poet’s choice of speaker adds to your understanding of the poem’s theme, or central message.

By choosing a speaker who had envied Richard Cory, the poet emphasizes that people should not judge others by outward appearances.

EVALUATE AND CONNECT


Explain why Richard Cory’s fate is an example of situational irony.

The outcome of the poem–Cory’s shooting himself–is the opposite of what the speaker and the other townspeople expected.


Have you ever envied someone, only to find out that his or her life was quite different from your perception of it? Explain.



Describe how Miniver Cheevy spends his time. What does he seem to want from life? Do you think he can ever attain it? Why or why not?

Cheevy spends his time resting, dreaming, bemoaning his fate, and drinking. He wants to live in a fantasy vision of the past.



What does Cheevy blame for his unhappiness? What do you think is the real reason he is unhappy? Explain.

Cheevy blames the world in which he lives because it is unlike the romantic days of yore. Perhaps Cheevy is unable or unwilling to make his life extraordinary, or perhaps his drinking contributes to his problems.



How does the speaker’s tone affect your attitude toward Cheevy?

The speaker’s tone is sarcastic and critical of Cheevy. This makes the reader amused by or disdainful of him.


Compare a sad experience of your own experience and the way you handled it with the way Cheevy copes with his own situation.


If you could live in a different time and place, what would you choose? Why?


grow

weep be have

go

think be

Making Inferences

This feature is found on page 556 of your textbook.

After listening to the introduction, read the information about inferences on page 556 of your textbook. Then complete the exercises on the following slides.

Making Inferences

What inferences can you make about the main character in “Richard Cory”?

One can infer that, although he is wealthy and polite, he hides a deep unhappiness.

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Making Inferences

What details from “Richard Cory” support your inferences?

From line 6, the reader can infer that he is polite and well mannered. Line 16 implies that Cory must have been very unhappy. From lines 11–12, the reader can infer that he hid his sadness.


Making Inferences

What personal knowledge or experience tells you that your inferences are correct?

Possible answer: People who commit suicide are often unhappy and lonely but may not show signs of depression.


Selection Focus 4-1 Selection 4 Contents Before You Read Reading the Selection Responding to Literature Click a hyperlink to go to the corresponding.

Documents

f active reading slide

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literary elements b

d active reading

critical thinking c

active reading question

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