Definitions for James Whitcomb Riley
james whit·com·b ri·ley

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Riley, James Whitcomb Rileynoun

   United States poet (1849-1916)

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. James Whitcomb Riley

   James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry. His poems tend to be humorous or sentimental. Of the approximately 1,000 poems Riley wrote, the majority are in dialect. His famous works include "Little Orphant Annie" and "The Raggedy Man". Riley began his career writing verses as a sign maker and submitting poetry to newspapers. Thanks in part to poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's endorsement, he eventually earned successive jobs at Indiana newspaper publishers during the late 1870s. He gradually rose to prominence during the 1880s through his poetry reading tours. He traveled a touring circuit first in the Midwest, and then nationally, appearing either alone or with other famous talents. During this period Riley's long-term addiction to alcohol began to affect his performing abilities, and he suffered financially as a result. However, once he extricated himself from a series of poorly negotiated contracts that sought to limit his earnings, he began to accumulate wealth and eventually became a financial success. By the 1890s, Riley had become known as a bestselling author. His children's poems were compiled into a book illustrated by Howard Chandler Christy. Titled Rhymes of Childhood, it was his most popular and sold millions of copies. As a poet, Riley achieved an uncommon level of fame during his lifetime. He was honored with annual Riley Day celebrations around the United States and was regularly called on to perform readings at national civic events. He continued to write and hold occasional poetry readings until a stroke paralyzed his right arm in 1910. Riley's chief legacy was his influence in fostering the creation of a Midwestern cultural identity and his contributions to the Golden Age of Indiana Literature. With other writers of his era, he helped create a caricature of Midwesterners and formed a literary community that produced works rivaling the established eastern literati. There are many memorials dedicated to Riley, including the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children.

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1. james whitcomb riley

   James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916) was a celebrated American writer, poet, and best-selling author. He is well-known for his "Hoosier" dialect verses, often capturing the feel of rural and small-town American life in Indiana, and for his children's poetry. His most famous works include "Little Orphant Annie" and "The Raggedy Man." He's often referred to as "The Hoosier Poet" and "The Children's Poet" for his significant contributions in these areas.

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. James Whitcomb Riley

   James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively. His poems tended to be humorous or sentimental, and of the approximately one thousand poems that Riley authored, the majority are in dialect. His famous works include "Little Orphant Annie" and "The Raggedy Man". Riley began his career writing verses as a sign maker and submitting poetry to newspapers. Thanks in part to an endorsement from poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, he eventually earned successive jobs at Indiana newspaper publishers during the latter 1870s. Riley gradually rose in prominence during the 1880s through his poetry reading tours. He traveled a touring circuit first in the Midwest, and then nationally, holding shows and making joint appearances on stage with other famous talents. Regularly struggling with his alcohol addiction, Riley never married or had children, and created a scandal in 1888 when he became too drunk to perform. He became more popular in spite of the bad press he received, and as a result extricated himself from poorly negotiated contracts that limited his earnings; he quickly became very wealthy.

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1. james whitcomb riley

   james whitcomb riley poems -- Explore a large selection of poetry work created by james whitcomb riley on Poetry.net

2. james whitcomb riley

   Quotes by james whitcomb riley -- Explore a large variety of famous quotes made by james whitcomb riley on the Quotes.net website.

3. james whitcomb riley

   Read the full text of the James Whitcomb Riley poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar on the Poetry.com website.

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1. • Poet

How to pronounce James Whitcomb Riley?

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Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of James Whitcomb Riley in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of James Whitcomb Riley in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=James Whitcomb Riley
2. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Whitcomb_Riley
3. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
4. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=James Whitcomb Riley