The Rich Man by Franklin P. Adams illustrates a poor man's thoughts about a rich man. The poem lures the reader into thinking that the poor man is a virtuous man who doesn't care about earthly pleasures, such as wealth, cars or houses. By portraying the rich man only through his possessions, the reader sees him as a very shallow, or even as a very unhappy person. Someone anyone wouldn't want to be, anyway. This is why the poor man's answer to the question is so surprising. The answer rips the reader back down from the clouds of virtuous choices. It is a slap on Bartlett's cheek. To me, this poem offered a much more realistic view of life than any romantic poem.