Never judge a book by its cover. Appearances can greatly deviate from what is hidden on the inside.
"Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson, "We wear the mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar, and "I'm n
obody! Who are you?" by Emily Dickinson each give examples of appearances in contrast to reality. R
obinson's "Richard Cory" is essentially about a man who is set upon a golden pedestal by others and
due to his suppressed sadness, kills himself. "We wear the mask" by Dunbar shows us society's use
of a "mask" to hide their sorrow and grief, grinning and smiling when they truly feel overwhelmed wi
th sadness. Dickinson's "I'm nobody!" tells of the role of "somebody" in society as opposed to a "n
obody", deeming the truth as the latter of the two. In Robinson's "Richard Cory," Dunbar's "We wear
the mask," and Dickinson's "I'm nobody!" appearance versus reality is exhibited through the usage o
f poetic language evoking various feelings in the reader. With each authors use of poetic language
feelings are stirred and the discrepancies between appearances and reality are clearly expressed.
R
obinson's "Richard Cory" lets us closely examine appearances in contrast with reality. All who knew
of Richard Cory held him in reverence; they glorified him and were quite jealous of his lifestyle.
"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.... In fine we thought that he
was everything to make us wish that we were in his place" gives a perfect example of how highly Rich
ard Cory was thought of by "the people on the pavement" and how they wished to be of his status. Th
ose who watched Richard Cory every time he went into town might have desired all Cory had and was, b
ut they were deceived by his rejection of the eminence that his fellows would accord him. "And Rich
ard Cory, one calm summer night, went home and put a bullet through his head," although it may seem
somewhat an ironic and abrupt ending, it suits the theme well, quickly identifying the concept of ap
pearance versus identity. Robinson also shows us appearances versus reality through his use of poet
ic language.
Robinson's use of imagery, and irony enhances the poem greatly. Robinson uses imagery
throughout the course of his poem. "And he was always quietly arrayed...and he glittered when he w
alked," Robinson uses visually stimulating words and phrases to show the magnitude of a man that was
Richard Cory. Robinson also makes use of irony in "Richard Cory," enabling us to understand the tr
uth of Cory's existence, that of a sad man, no better than any of those "on the pavement." "And Ric
hard Cory, one calm summer night, went home and put a bullet through his head," after all that rever
ence, Richard Cory was in all respects unhappy. This use of poetic language in "Richard Cory" provo
kes feelings of grandness and jealousy.
When Richard Cory's fellows looked at him, they saw him as
of royalty, of pertaining to that which heavenly or divine; howbeit, they were looking through eyes
full of envy. Richard was held in high regards. "And he was rich - yes, richer than a king - and ad
mirably schooled in every grace," his ranking alongside Kings gives a sense of how grand a man the t
ownspeople made Cory out to be. People on the street admired Cory from afar; they wished to be him,
to walk in his shoes, they coveted his very essence. "In fine, we thought that he was everything t
o make us wish that we were in his place. So on we worked, and waited for the light, and went witho
ut meat, and cursed the bread..." the extent of their jealousy runs far. However, "We wear the mask
" by Dunbar, in it's own way, also deals with the same principles of appearance versus reality as di
d "Richard Cory."
"We wear the mask" allows us to delve into the psyche of humanity and explore its
apparent need to hide behind a mask. In "We wear the mask," the title alone gives us the theme for
the entire poem. "We wear the mask that grins and lies, it hides our cheeks and shades out eyes--T
his debt we pay to human guile; with thorn and bleeding hearts we smile, and mouth with myriad subtl
eties," shows that the mask that is worn hides the true self, instead, a false face is given, one wh
ich smiles and does not let the underlying, suppressed sorrows show. Humanity, as seen through the
eyes of Dunbar in "We wear the mask," is deceiving itself with these masks we wear, this fraudulent
life which is lead by all. "This debt we pay to human guile; with thorn and bleeding hearts we smil
e, and mouth with myriad subtleties," though we may be torn apart inside, to the world we are conten
t with life; once again, appearance deviate greatly from reality. Moreover, through the use of poet
ic language, Dunbar also expresses appearance in contrast with reality.
Through the use of an exten
ded metaphor and sensory, Dunbar further allows the exploration of appearances versus reality. "We
wear the mask" tells of a mask which hides the face, which hides the emotions one is feeling, the te
rm "mask" is used throughout the poem as a metaphor; Dunbar does not write of a mask which is adorne
d and used for masquerades, rather, he writes of the inherent suppression of emotions for fear of be
ing ostracized from a society which is quick to do so. "Nay, let them only see us while we wear the
mask," the mask is a necessity in life, it is worn by all. Sensory language in "We wear the mask"
enables the reader to feel the pains and sufferings of the human race. Dunbar's use of extended me
taphor and sensory in "We wear the mask" elicits pride and empathy in the reader. "We smile, but O g
reat Christ, our cries to thee from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh, the clay is vile beneath
our feet, and long the mile..." lines such a these enable the reader to empathize with the narrator
. The way poetic language was used in "We wear the mask" evokes feelings of empathy in the reader,
as well as pride.
Throughout the course of Dunbar's poem, one cannot help but feel a sense of empat
hy and pride. Reading this poem, a sense empathy for humanity arises, for the pain we all face day
in and day out. "We smile, but O great Christ, our cries to thee from tortured souls arise," evokes
the feeling of empathy towards the plights of humanity. A sense of pride is also given in the poem
with the narrator's refusal to let others see him without the mask. "But let the world dream other
wise, we wear the mask!" the narrator voices this statement with pride. In addition, "I'm nobody!"
by Dickinson also faces the idea of discrepancies between appearance and reality.
Dickinson's "I'm
nobody!" explores appearance in contrast with reality. The true face of the reader is being questio
ned, their identity so to speak. "I'm nobody! Who are you?" Dickinson suggests, through the person
a of a child that the true somebody is, in reality, the nobody. In order to remain in society, one
must adopt the views and beliefs of society regardless of your own. "Are you nobody too? Then ther
e's a pair of us--don't tell! They'd banish us you know," this shows how people must appear to be t
he same as the majority, even though in reality, they may be quite different. Dickinson also shows
us appearances versus reality through her use of poetic language.
Dickinson's use of similes and sa
tire further enhance the theme of the poem. She compares and contrasts the role of "somebody" to a
frog. "How dreary to be somebody! How public like a frog... to an admiring bog!" Dickinson's depi
ction of "somebody" is of a self-important and constantly self-promoting person and further shows th
e false values of a society that approves of people like the frog. Dickinson uses satire to illustr
ate the follies of mankind in accepting these frog-somebody's. "How dreary to be somebody! How pub
lic like a frog to tell your name to the livelong June to an admiring bog!" Dickinson's use of poet
ic language sound, at times, playful and comical.
Dickinson's use of tone in "I'm nobody!" is playf
ul and at comical. The child persona she adopts gives the sense of a playful nature in the poem. "
I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody too?" gives the main evidence of its playful tone. At tim
es, Dickinson pokes fun at society, comically pointing out its errors. "How dreary to be somebody..
.To an admiring bog!" gives a comical, yet true, depiction of society. This poem, like all the rest
, expresses appearance in contrast with reality.
In Robinson's "Richard Cory," Dunbar's "We wear th
e mask," and Dickinson's "I'm nobody!" appearance versus reality is exhibited through the usage of p
oetic language evoking various feelings in the reader. Hiding the true self from society is a neces
sary part of life, everyday it must be worn in order be accepted, and these three poems are exemplar
y. Appearances are just that, appearances, and nothing more; the true individual is far different fr
om that which we see. Are we all not quick to judge a book by its cover?never judge book cover appe
arances greatly deviate from what hidden inside richard cory edwin arlington robinson wear mask paul
laurence dunbar nobody emily dickinson each give examples appearances contrast reality robinson ric
hard cory essentially about upon golden pedestal others suppressed sadness kills himself wear mask d
unbar shows society mask hide their sorrow grief grinning smiling when they truly feel overwhelmed w
ith sadness dickinson nobody tells role somebody society opposed nobody deeming truth latter robinso
n richard cory dunbar wear dickinson appearance versus reality exhibited through usage poetic langua
ge evoking various feelings reader with each authors poetic language feelings stirred discrepancies
between appearances reality clearly expressed lets closely examine contrast with knew held reverence
they glorified were quite jealous lifestyle always quietly arrayed always human when talked still f
luttered pulses when said good morning glittered walked fine thought that everything make wish that
were place gives perfect example highly thought people pavement they wished status those watched eve
ry time went into town might have desired were deceived rejection eminence that fellows would accord
calm summer night went home bullet through head although seem somewhat ironic abrupt ending suits t
heme well quickly identifying concept appearance versus identity also shows versus through poetic la
nguage imagery irony enhances poem greatly uses imagery throughout course poem always quietly arraye
d glittered walked uses visually stimulating words phrases show magnitude also makes irony enabling
understand truth existence better than those pavement calm summer night went home bullet head after
reverence respects unhappy this provokes feelings grandness jealousy fellows looked royalty pertaini
ng which heavenly divine howbeit looking eyes full envy held high regards rich richer than king admi
rably schooled every grace ranking alongside kings gives sense grand townspeople made people street
admired from afar wished walk shoes coveted very essence fine thought everything make wish place wor
ked waited light without meat cursed bread extent their jealousy runs however also deals same princi
ples appearance allows delve into psyche humanity explore apparent need hide behind title alone give
s theme entire poem grins lies hides cheeks shades eyes this debt human guile thorn bleeding hearts
smile mouth myriad subtleties shows worn hides true self instead false face given which smiles does
underlying suppressed sorrows show humanity seen eyes deceiving itself these masks this fraudulent l
ife which lead debt human guile thorn bleeding hearts smile mouth myriad subtleties though torn apar
t inside world content life once again deviate greatly from moreover expresses contrast extended met
aphor sensory further allows exploration tells hides face emotions feeling term used throughout meta
phor does write adorned used masquerades rather writes inherent suppression emotions fear being ostr
acized society quick them only while necessity life worn sensory enables reader feel pains suffering
s race extended metaphor sensory elicits pride empathy reader smile great christ cries thee tortured
souls arise sing clay vile beneath feet long mile lines such these enable empathize narrator used e
vokes empathy well pride throughout course cannot help feel sense empathy pride reading sense humani
ty arises pain face great christ cries thee tortured souls arise evokes feeling towards plights give
n narrator refusal others without world dream otherwise narrator voices statement addition faces ide
a discrepancies between explores true being questioned their identity speak suggests persona child t
rue somebody order remain must adopt views beliefs regardless your then there pair tell banish know
people must appear same majority even though quite different similes satire further enhance theme co
mpares contrasts role somebody frog dreary public like frog admiring depiction self important consta
ntly self promoting person further false values approves like frog uses satire illustrate follies ma
nkind accepting these dreary public like tell your name livelong june admiring sound times playful c
omical tone playful comical child persona adopts playful nature main evidence tone times pokes comic
ally pointing errors dreary admiring comical depiction rest expresses exhibited usage evoking variou
s hiding necessary part everyday must worn order accepted three poems exemplary just nothing more in
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