Student Question

What does "the meat" symbolize in "Richard Cory"?

Quick answer:

In "Richard Cory", "the meat" stands for all the good things that poor people cannot afford. This is why it is contrasted with "the bread," which is all they have to eat and which does not satisfy them.

Expert Answers

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The final stanza of Edwin Arlington Robinson's "Richard Cory" reads as follows:

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.
Given the sensational nature of the last line, it is hardly surprising that few readers focus on the second. However, the comment here is an interesting continuation of the contrast between Richard Cory and the common people that runs through the poem.
"The meat" in this line means expensive and satisfying food. It is contrasted with "the bread," which is cheap but quickly leaves one feeling empty. This is why those who eat only the bread because they can afford nothing better also curse it. Meat, therefore, is something the poor regard as a necessity for a fulfilling life but that is a luxury for them because it is out of their reach.
The symbolic meaning of meat is clear within the context of the poem. It stands for all the things in life that are easily available to Richard Cory and that he therefore does not appreciate but that the "people on the pavement" keenly desire. This is why these poor people look at Cory as a strange specimen of humanity, since he does not care to continue his life, despite having access to all the good things he could possibly want.

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