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, 5
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: 10
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, 15
Went home and put a bullet through his head.
Which statement about the structure of the poem is true?
It has a set rhyme scheme and meter.
The tone changes from stanza to stanza.
The rhyme scheme and meter are inconsistent.
There is a shift in tone between the first and second stanzas.
this was a little tough but i picked B
... about the structure of the poem ...
Correct.
The correct answer is actually C) The rhyme scheme and meter are inconsistent.
The poem "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson does not have a set rhyme scheme and meter throughout. The poem is composed of four quatrains, but the rhyme scheme in each stanza varies. The first stanza has an ABAB rhyme scheme, the second stanza has an ABBA rhyme scheme, the third stanza has an ABCB rhyme scheme, and the fourth stanza has an ABAB rhyme scheme. This inconsistency in the rhyme scheme adds to the overall effect of the poem.
In terms of meter, the poem does not strictly adhere to a specific meter throughout. While it seems to have a generally rhythmic and regular pattern, there are variations and disruptions in the metrical structure. This contributes to the overall tone and message of the poem.
There is also a shift in tone between the first and second stanzas, as mentioned in option D, which adds to the unpredictability and complexity of the poem.