What is the genre of the poem "Richard Cory"?

There are
several different ways to talk about the genre of "," depending on which aspects of
the poem you wish to emphasize.

First, it is a "lyric" rather than
"epic" poem. This distinction is an ancient one. Epics were typically defined as long
heroic narratives, and lyric poetry was a shorter and more personal genre, dealing with
individual experiences rather than the great events of history.

Second, it
can be described as a "narrative" poem, meaning that it tells a story rather than
simply expressing an emotion or describing something. 

Although it is not a
traditional oral ballad, its structurein particular the use of open quatrains, simple narrative,
and everyday experienceowes something to the ballad genre.

Finally, it is a
"realistic" rather than romantic poem, talking about the everyday life in a small
town.