This poem is about a little boy who is much wiser than those who ridicule him. The poem also shows us that even though someone may bully us with words and completely misjudge us that we don’t have to let it effect our feelings of self-worth. We can go on to achieve our goals despite their wrong opinion about us.
Little Oliver Cory
Little Oliver Cory was shorter than most,
he sure was skinny and poor-
I guess you could say he carried “no weight”
and his classmates all thought,
this would decide his fate.
When it came to other children calling on him,
it seldom did occur-
yet little Oliver with his idealistic faith,
this… it did not deter.
He kept right on pursuin’ his dreams.
It didn’t seem to matter much
if insults got real mean;
studying hard and persevering,
on this, he was keen-
enjoying his life and interests
with an energy seldom seen.
LIttle Oliver Cory never talked much,
didn’t indulge in gossip and such.
One day, he got hit in the eye
but Oliver was determined not to cry-
he just shook his head with a sigh.
That big boy stared at him real hard
and told him he was a fool…
“you’ll never be anything, you’ll see,
but Oliver answered,
“no one can take my dreams from me.”
One day, we all read about Oliver Cory
who won the Pulitzer Prize for his great story;
his talent and skill brought him real glory.
Oliver said his success had been hard-earned
but worth all the pain,
and that he hadn’t done it for the fame.
Yes, that little Oliver Cory
who never talked much
and hid his tears inside-
reached for the stars
and flew right to the sky.
~ Lora Hollings
Listen To Little Oliver Cory: The Song
I hope that my poem, Oliver Cory, will inspire students with its message that we shouldn’t let other’s opinions of us which can be so flawed or their inaccurate perceptions of us define who we are.
And it is also my sincere wish that students who read my article and see the videos featured on it realize the importance of taking a stand against bullying by standing up for students who are its victims.
Anti Bullying: It Only Takes One
The following videos show how just one student can make a difference and the difference creates more than one!
Be The Change- Be The Hero
Be the hero and stand up against bullying and make a difference in changing someone’s life. Be an ‘upstander’ instead of a ‘bystander’ to bullying.
Insight on Little Oliver Cory
Little Oliver Cory is a quiet but powerful meditation on inner worth, perseverance, and the long arc of becoming. From the opening lines, Oliver is defined not by his own voice but by the judgments of others—his size, his poverty, and the cruel assumption that these traits determine destiny. The poem deliberately frames him as “carrying no weight,” not only physically but socially, emphasizing how easily the world overlooks those who do not demand attention.
Yet the heart of the poem lies in Oliver’s unshakable interior life. His “idealistic faith” becomes a shield—not loud, not confrontational, but steady. He does not escape pain; he absorbs it. The moment where he is struck and refuses to cry is especially telling: this is not about suppression, but resolve. Oliver chooses dignity over reaction, dreams over defense.
The turning point is not revenge, but fulfillment. The Pulitzer Prize is not presented as triumph over others, but as the natural outcome of devotion, discipline, and love for the work itself. Oliver’s success is explicitly detached from fame, reinforcing the poem’s message that true achievement is self-defined.
Ultimately, the poem reminds us that greatness often grows in silence. Those who “never talk much” may still be listening deeply—to purpose, to possibility, and to the quiet call of their own stars.
More poems
- A Ladybug Poem For Halloween
- Whoever Shall I Be On Halloween? – A Poem
- Angels as Guides for Living
- A Paradise Forsaken
