A fulfilling life is a subject of broad dimensions. Indeed, the pursuit of happiness has been the ultimate objective of every person (Veenhoven et al. 1946). However, with the unequal chances that human beings have, human beings have, and leading a gratifying life is not a guarantee to all. Reasons for unmatched chances for humans to attain a satisfying life are wide-ranging (Peterson et al.) In the keen analysis of the two poems: “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes and “Richard Cory” – by Edwin Robinson, it is apparent that socioeconomic status creates that inequality. A person’s socioeconomic status affects their ability to lead a fulfilling life.
Affluence is a gesture for a fulfilled life. In stanza 4, lines one and three in Richard Cory “And he was rich- yes, richer than a king (1)” “In fine, we thought that he was everything (3)” This implies that the rich are considered to lead a happy life, and the poor a miserable life to the extent that the persona wishes to be like Richard (4).
Similarly, the struggles of life that the underprivileged go through hinder one from attaining a fulfilling life. When the persona says that her life had tacks and splinters, this creates a vivid mental picture of poverty (poem “Mother to Son”). All the time in her life, she has undergone struggles to overcome the odds of life. The poet’s choice of words like tacks and splinters, help convey the message of poverty (Hughes 165). Through that, we understand well how low socioeconomic status hinders a person from leading a satisfying life.
However, socioeconomic status does not signal imminent failure or success in pursuit of happiness but rather serves as a reminder of what is required of human beings in order to reach desired goals in the journey of the quest for life happiness (Easterlin 149- 156) It is a motivational factor toward fighting every nature of odds of life. In the poem, “Richard Cory” Stanza 4, “so we worked and waited for the light” (1), the theme of the poem is persistence in this quest for happiness. Similarly, the mother advises the son not to turn back no matter how steep the situation might turn out to be.
In both poems, the authors seem to agree that the road to pursuing happiness in life is rough. Struggles are inevitable to achieving a fulfilled life. Resilience and persistence are needed. How does the author employ hyperbole when he says, ‘He glittered when he walked’ (2), (4)? This statement leaves readers with the imagination of the persona’s walking style. In so doing, this stylistic device has helped convey the message with ease.
Admiration has been pointed out as one feature of those with a fulfilled life. This admiration is attached to the socioeconomic status of a person. However, high socioeconomic status does not always guarantee a happy life. Perhaps those who are considered happy in life might not be leading a fulfilled life as they are thought to be. Portraying a happy outward look does not necessarily mean that one is fulfilled in life. Richard is thought to be leading a happy life, but when he reaches home, he shoots himself. He had hidden struggles in his life.
Work Cited
Hughes, Langston. “Mother to Son.” Selected Poems of Langston Hughes, 1926, p. 165.
Peterson, Christopher, et al. “Strengths of Character, Orientations to Happiness, and Life Satisfaction.” The Journal of life fulfillment, vol. 2, no. 3, 2007, pp. 149–156.
Veenhoven, Ruut, et al. Happiness in life throughout Nations: Subjective Appreciation of Life in 56 Nations 1946–1992. Erasmus University Rotterdam, 1993.
