impressed with the poetry therefore he sent it to his father in the White House. President Theodore Roosevelt was equally impressed and wanted to meet Robinson personally. When he met Robinson he discovered that Robinson was "barely scraping by on a laborer's salary" (Anderson 651) and arranged a job for him at the New York Customs House.In Robinson's poems he often describes people he knows, but gives them a different name. For example, "Richard Cory" is a poem about his next older brother, Herman. Also, "Miniver Cheevy" is a self-portrait created by Robinson and presents the contradictions of his life.The words used in "Richard Cory" delineate Herman. "He was a gentlemanclean favoredimperially slimquietly arrayedglittered when he walkedricher than a kingand schooled in every grace" (Collected Poems 82). The "people on the pavement" (82) praised the external perspectives of Richard Cory and ultimately wished they were him, because it seemed as though he had everything. Obviously Richard Cory did not have everything because he went home one night and "put a bullet through his head" (82). Robinson does not mention why, but leaves that for the reader's imagination. Herman, Robinson's brother, was an alcoholic. He had become an alcoholic due to stress in his life and eventually drunk himself to death. His death is similar to that of Richard Cory's because they both had so much in life, but never realized it, and always wanted more."Miniver Cheevy" is a poem about Robinson. The first and last stanzas especially portray him. Robinson was in fact a "child of scorn" (Collected Poems 347) and "wept that he was ever born" (347) as before mentioned. In the last stanza it states that Miniver Cheevy was "born too late" (348). Robinson felt that his birth was unplanned, which caused him to be ignored by his family. In this particular poem Robinson contrasts the past with the present, and ideality with reality....
