Richard Cory vs. Lucinda Matlock, Article Review Example

[lines 1-5]:  A young girl went to a dance, where at one time she changed partners (playing snap-out a dance around a ring where you change partners[1]). It was summer in mid-June when on the way home she met her future husband Davis

[line 6-9]: Reflecting on married life with Davis. By the age of 60 she had given birth to 12 children eight of which she had lost. She was married and lived with Davis for 70 years.

[lines 10-15]:  She looked after the domestic life of her family and had memorable holidays in the countryside collecting flowers and medicinal plants and decorative shells from the river

[lines16-17]: She died at the age of 96 passing away in sweet repose. She had lived life to the full.

[lines  18-22] : She reflects on future generations that are discontent with life, full of anger and loss of hope. They are overpowered by the challenges of life because they expect too much from life. They have lost the simple joys of life and the love of life and as such have become disrespectful of life.

Lucinda Matlock experienced the hardships of raising a large family and dealing with the losses of many of her children. “I spun I wove I nursed the sick”. (Masters, 2009). She also had many joys and pleasures “ shouting to the wooded hills, singing to the green valleys” (Masters, 2009).  Lucinda had a hard but full and satisfying life with her family. She loved life and did not have great expectations from it.

Edgar Lee Masters based Lucinda on his grandmother “The speaker in “Lucinda Matlock” is patterned after the paternal grandmother of the poet. This poem dramatizes the life of a simple, yet accomplished and wise woman.” (Grimes, 2008).

Masters emphasises the word LIFE in “It takes life to love life”. Masters was alluding to the fact that life is often difficult, combined with tragedy and sorrow but equally beautiful.  You have to love life and embrace it in order to enjoy its’ benefits.

In referring to her neighbours as ‘degenerate’ she is telling of a decline in the respect for life and their inability to appreciate their role in life. They expect too much and cannot appreciate life’s rich tapestry that interweaves hardship, sorrow and great joy of living.

Today’s life is one of materialistic values and less regard for traditional family values and the self-sacrifice of mothers for their children. Lucinda is a strong character but has little time for those with less virtues and strength of character.  Richard Cory was a rich man, well educated, with all the graces and virtues. A gentlemen as rich as a king. A man who wanted for nothing owing to his extreme affluence and wealth.  He was the envy of all the people but ultimately he went home one day and shot himself (suicide). The point contrasted with Lucinda Matlock is that great wealth and affluence do not necessarily make you happy with life. You fail to appreciate the simple virtues that life has to offer. The seashore, the forests, the birdsong so appreciated by Lucinda.  She toiled hard and nursed her children at great self-sacrifice as the love to her husband and children.  They did not have great wealth but made the best that life offered them asking little in return.

Works Cited

Grimes, L. S. (2008, 9 4). Edgar Lee Masters’ Lucinda Matlock. Retrieved 8 19, 2010, from Suite 101: http://american-poetry.suite101.com/article.cfm/edgar_lee_masters_lucinda_matlock

Masters, E. L. (2009, 11 6). Lucinda Matlock by Edgar Lee Masters . Retrieved 8 20, 2010, from Poem of the day: http://rinabeana.com/poemoftheday/index.php/2009/11/06/lucinda-matlock-by-edgar-lee-masters/

[1] Snap-out is party game, in which the players sit in a ring; then one player stands up, runs around the ring, and taps another player who stands and chases the tapper with the attempt to overtake him before he can sit down again.