Background
Riley, James Whitcomb was born in 1853 in Greenfield, Indiana, United States. Son of Reubin A. and Elizabeth Riley.
Riley, James Whitcomb was born in 1853 in Greenfield, Indiana, United States. Son of Reubin A. and Elizabeth Riley.
Educational public schools. (honorary Master of Arts, Yale, 1902. Doctor of Letters, Wabash College, 1903, and University of Pennsylvania, 1904.
Doctor of Laws, Indiana U., 1907). Unmarried.
Began contributing poems to Indiana papers, 1873, and has long been known as “the Hoosier poet”. Much of his verse is in the Middle-Western or Hoosier dialect. His earlier Hoosier dialect verse, and his first book, appeared under the pen-name, “Benj.
F. Johnson, of Boone.” Author: The Old Swimmin’ Hole and ’Leven More Poems, 1883. The Boss Girl and Other Sketches, 1885. Afterwhile, 1887; Old-Fashioned Roses, 1888 (public in England).
Pipes o’ Pan at Zekesbury, 1888. Rhymes of Childhood, 1890. Flying Islands of the Night, 1891.
Neighborly Poems, 1891. Green Fields and Running Brooks, 1892. Poems Here at Home, 1893.
Armazindy, 1894; A Child-World, 1896. Rubáiyát of Doctor Sifers, 1897. Child-Rhymes, 1898; Love Lyrics, 1899.
Home Folks, 1900; Farm-Rhymes, 1901. The Book of Joyous Children, 1902. An Old Sweetheart of Mine, 1902.
Out to Old Aunt Mary’s, 1904. A Defective Santa Claus, 1904. Songs o’ Cheer, 1905.
While the Heart Beats Young, 1906. The Boys of the Old Glee Club, 1907. Raggedy Man, 1907; Morning (poems), 1907.
The Little Orphant Annie Book, 1908. Songs of Summer, 1908. Home Again with Me, 1908.
Old Schoolday Romances, 1909. The Girl I Loved, 1910. Songs of Home, 1910; When She Was About Sixteen, 1911.
The Lockerbie Book (poems), 1911. Down Around the River and Other Poems, 1911. A Summer’s Day and Other Poems, 1911.
When the Frost Is on the Punkin and Other Poems, 1911. All the Year Round, 1912. Knee-Deep in June and Other Poems, 1912.
The Old Swimmin’ Hole and Other Poems, 1912. The Prayer-Perfect and Other Poems, 1912. Good-bye Jim, 1913; A Song of Long Ago, 1913.
He and I, 1913; When My Dreams Come True, 1913. The Rose, 1913; Her Beautiful Eyes, 1913. Away, 1913; Do They Miss Me?, 1913.
The Riley Baby Book, 1913. Songs of Friendship, 1915. Biographical Edition of James Whitcomb Riley’s Complete Works, 1913.
Member American Academy Arts and Letters.