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Complete Poetical Works of James Whitcomb Riley
It is said that Indiana's best-known poet did not portray but invented the typical Hoosier. Applying imaginative skill, Riley altered and adapted the people around him to suit his purpose. As Jeannette Covert Nolan once put it, the figure who emerged was "a mellow, humorous rustic, a quaint, bucolic philosopher, unlettered but gifted with an earthy shrewdness, a peasant wisdom, a heart of gold, speaking a drawling, hybrid tongue, a dubious dialect as yet unidentified by any philologist."
In his heyday Riley was famous all over the world. Though often called a children's poet, he actually wrote about children for adults, delighting in emotional reminders of an irretrievable past--perhaps one that never quite existed. Throughout his life Riley looked back wistfully and sentimentally upon his childhood days, turning the longings and unfulfilled dreams of youth into verse. So celebrated was he in Indiana that in many public elementary schools, students were required to memorize and recite one of his poems every week for admiring audiences of visiting parents.
In his heyday Riley was famous all over the world. Though often called a children's poet, he actually wrote about children for adults, delighting in emotional reminders of an irretrievable past--perhaps one that never quite existed. Throughout his life Riley looked back wistfully and sentimentally upon his childhood days, turning the longings and unfulfilled dreams of youth into verse. So celebrated was he in Indiana that in many public elementary schools, students were required to memorize and recite one of his poems every week for admiring audiences of visiting parents.
880 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1963
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311 people want to read
About the author
James Whitcomb Riley
936Ìýbooks50ÌýfollowersJames Whitcomb Riley, an American, known as the Hoosier Poet, wrote his
most famous works, �Little Orphant Annie� (1885) and �The Raggedy Man� (1890), in particular speech patterns to Indiana.
Elizabeth Marine Riley in a small cabin bore him to Reuben A. Riley, local attorney. After James Whitcomb, the governor of Indiana, parents named him. Many of the visitors to home of his father influenced him. In particular, he ably picked up the cadence and character of the dialect of central Indiana and the travelers along the old National Road, which came through the many poems that he went to write.
Mary Alice Smith, a particular visitor, eventually stayed to live with the Riley family. Mary Alice ("Allie") Smith influenced Riley, Little Orphant Annie, which was originally to be called Little Orphant Allie but an error of the typesetter changed the name of the poem.
Riley was never a great student. Before he dropped out of school at age 16, a former teacher encouraged him to appreciate nature. He attempted to study law in his father's law office, however he found that the law was not for him, whereupon he took several different jobs in rapid succession.
Riley had his first poem published in 1870 when he was 21. He began writing for several newspapers, eventually working for the Indianapolis Journal in Indianapolis, Indiana writing miscellaneous articles, versifying whenever possible.
Riley's big break came with the private publishing of a thousand copies of The Old Swimmin' Hole and 'Leven More Poems in 1883 under the pseudonym of "Benjamin F. Johnson, of Boone". The book rapidly sold all of the first printing, causing Indianapolis book publisher Merrill, Meigs and Company to quickly contract with Riley to publish the second edition of The Old Swimmin' Hole and 'Leven More Poems. Riley continued to work with the publishing company which eventually became Bowen-Merrill and finally Bobbs-Merrill. The 1886 publishing The Boss Girl began to publish new Riley literature regularly. As a result he began to tour the United States giving lectures, starting in the mid-1880s.
In 1893 he was invited to live at the residence of Charles and Magdalena Holstein within the Indianapolis neighborhood of Lockerbie. He would call this his permanent residence for the last 23 years of his life, although he eventually purchased his childhood home, and allowed his brother, John Riley, to live there.
He was in demand throughout his life, including being a guest at the White House. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1912 the National Institute of Arts and Letters gave him the gold medal of poetry, the first poet so honored. He also received several honorary degrees.
Riley loved children, but he never had any of his own; he also never married. Evidence points that he regretted his bachelorhood and childlessness. Many believe that his poems about and for children were written due to this regret. Others attribute his poems to his regrets over alcoholism and his possible affliction with syphilis.
Indiana honored Riley after his death in 1916 by burying him in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. The site of his grave is atop Strawberry Hill, the highest point in Indianapolis, offering a spectacular view of the city. Although Riley's poetry has fallen out of popularity, a few of his poems, such as Little Orphant Annie and Lockerbie Street, continue to be taught in schools in Indiana.
In 1916 a group of prominent citizens from Indianapolis organized the Riley Memorial Association (now the Riley Children's Foundation) to build a children's hospital in memory of the Hoosier Poet. The James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children opened in 1924.
The foundation also purchased the poet's home in his later years in downtown Indianapolis; it is maintained as a museum and today, the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home is the only late-Victorian home in Indiana that is o
most famous works, �Little Orphant Annie� (1885) and �The Raggedy Man� (1890), in particular speech patterns to Indiana.
Elizabeth Marine Riley in a small cabin bore him to Reuben A. Riley, local attorney. After James Whitcomb, the governor of Indiana, parents named him. Many of the visitors to home of his father influenced him. In particular, he ably picked up the cadence and character of the dialect of central Indiana and the travelers along the old National Road, which came through the many poems that he went to write.
Mary Alice Smith, a particular visitor, eventually stayed to live with the Riley family. Mary Alice ("Allie") Smith influenced Riley, Little Orphant Annie, which was originally to be called Little Orphant Allie but an error of the typesetter changed the name of the poem.
Riley was never a great student. Before he dropped out of school at age 16, a former teacher encouraged him to appreciate nature. He attempted to study law in his father's law office, however he found that the law was not for him, whereupon he took several different jobs in rapid succession.
Riley had his first poem published in 1870 when he was 21. He began writing for several newspapers, eventually working for the Indianapolis Journal in Indianapolis, Indiana writing miscellaneous articles, versifying whenever possible.
Riley's big break came with the private publishing of a thousand copies of The Old Swimmin' Hole and 'Leven More Poems in 1883 under the pseudonym of "Benjamin F. Johnson, of Boone". The book rapidly sold all of the first printing, causing Indianapolis book publisher Merrill, Meigs and Company to quickly contract with Riley to publish the second edition of The Old Swimmin' Hole and 'Leven More Poems. Riley continued to work with the publishing company which eventually became Bowen-Merrill and finally Bobbs-Merrill. The 1886 publishing The Boss Girl began to publish new Riley literature regularly. As a result he began to tour the United States giving lectures, starting in the mid-1880s.
In 1893 he was invited to live at the residence of Charles and Magdalena Holstein within the Indianapolis neighborhood of Lockerbie. He would call this his permanent residence for the last 23 years of his life, although he eventually purchased his childhood home, and allowed his brother, John Riley, to live there.
He was in demand throughout his life, including being a guest at the White House. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1912 the National Institute of Arts and Letters gave him the gold medal of poetry, the first poet so honored. He also received several honorary degrees.
Riley loved children, but he never had any of his own; he also never married. Evidence points that he regretted his bachelorhood and childlessness. Many believe that his poems about and for children were written due to this regret. Others attribute his poems to his regrets over alcoholism and his possible affliction with syphilis.
Indiana honored Riley after his death in 1916 by burying him in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. The site of his grave is atop Strawberry Hill, the highest point in Indianapolis, offering a spectacular view of the city. Although Riley's poetry has fallen out of popularity, a few of his poems, such as Little Orphant Annie and Lockerbie Street, continue to be taught in schools in Indiana.
In 1916 a group of prominent citizens from Indianapolis organized the Riley Memorial Association (now the Riley Children's Foundation) to build a children's hospital in memory of the Hoosier Poet. The James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children opened in 1924.
The foundation also purchased the poet's home in his later years in downtown Indianapolis; it is maintained as a museum and today, the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home is the only late-Victorian home in Indiana that is o
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 6, 2017
I picked up this one last year, and reading it in parts; I am really liking it! I mean he’s not a very known poet, not listed on those elite clubs and lists, but I am awed by the simplicity. Sometimes it gets so casual, it suddenly gets deep.
To be honest, I started reading this just because I saw a picture of James dean holding the book, with a cigarette on other hand; I was sold then and there!
To be honest, I started reading this just because I saw a picture of James dean holding the book, with a cigarette on other hand; I was sold then and there!
July 5, 2020
James Whitcomb Riley is not remembered as one of the great poets, when he is remembered at all. His poetry is not included in the Oxford Book of American Verse, nor is it in The Norton Anthology of Poetry or Harold Bloom's recent compilation of the greatest poems in English.
I had to search through several collections before I found four of his poems in a collection titled, America's Favorite Poems. Perhaps that is indicative of his standing as a poet. He is not considered great or even almost great by the critics and literary scholars, he is just loved by those Americans who enjoy beautiful poetry. This collection is great for its presentation of all of those poems.
James Whitcomb Riley was a poet of the latter half of the nineteenth century, born on October 7, 1849 in Greenfield, Indiana and died in 1916 having not lived to see the end of The Great War. His childhood and home were great influences on him. His most famous poems were about people and situations from his real life. His poems, "The Raggedy Man," and "Little Orphant Annie," are about a hired hand and an orphan girl who helped on the family farm. The farmhand and Annie told the local children stories that Riley immortalized in his work. His poems, though of epic proportion in many senses, told of everyday things.
Riley, like many poets, published his first works in newspapers. At first he wrote under a pen name, "Benjamin F. Johnson of Boone." He often wrote in his own dialect, appealing to the majority of people with his common style and words. Garland held Riley alike to Mark Twain, for his ability to use natural dialect in his writing and speech, though also possessing the ability to speak in a more precise and standard English. After the success of his written work, Riley took to the road again, and traveled around the country to recite his poems in every city. This earned him great popularity, and people were fascinated by his dialect and use of the language, as well as his cheerful sense of humor. For he was a happy poet, cheerful in his lyrical praise of Midwestern life and America.
I had to search through several collections before I found four of his poems in a collection titled, America's Favorite Poems. Perhaps that is indicative of his standing as a poet. He is not considered great or even almost great by the critics and literary scholars, he is just loved by those Americans who enjoy beautiful poetry. This collection is great for its presentation of all of those poems.
James Whitcomb Riley was a poet of the latter half of the nineteenth century, born on October 7, 1849 in Greenfield, Indiana and died in 1916 having not lived to see the end of The Great War. His childhood and home were great influences on him. His most famous poems were about people and situations from his real life. His poems, "The Raggedy Man," and "Little Orphant Annie," are about a hired hand and an orphan girl who helped on the family farm. The farmhand and Annie told the local children stories that Riley immortalized in his work. His poems, though of epic proportion in many senses, told of everyday things.
Riley, like many poets, published his first works in newspapers. At first he wrote under a pen name, "Benjamin F. Johnson of Boone." He often wrote in his own dialect, appealing to the majority of people with his common style and words. Garland held Riley alike to Mark Twain, for his ability to use natural dialect in his writing and speech, though also possessing the ability to speak in a more precise and standard English. After the success of his written work, Riley took to the road again, and traveled around the country to recite his poems in every city. This earned him great popularity, and people were fascinated by his dialect and use of the language, as well as his cheerful sense of humor. For he was a happy poet, cheerful in his lyrical praise of Midwestern life and America.
March 1, 2019
J.W. Riley is the reason I became a writer myself. His observations of "plain folk" and his grasp of the Hoosier accent astounded me. I have and always will love Riley.
April 13, 2008
I havent read the entire book but from what I read, his writings are beautiful.
May 14, 2024
I’ve always loved JWR…a folksy poet from my home state. This is a giant book and I’ve savored every bit of it. I’ll be reading parts of it to my grandkids!
September 21, 2022
I grew up listening to and reading the poetry of James Whitcomb Riley. It evokes emotions, and images of a homespun life as it was in the mid-1800s in Indiana. His poetry covers many topics and one must adjust to his way of speaking and vocabulary. It is a book one can read and enjoy on a cold snowy day sitting by the fire and at times can bring tears and at other times laughter. The author was a true gentleman of his time.
August 29, 2016
Down home poetical storytelling. I can't remember when I read it...My Mom would read it to us at night. I read it as a teenager, my Mom gave me my own copy for my 30th Birthday ...so I read it again :)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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