Early life James Whitcomb Riley

1 life

1.1 family , background
1.2 childhood influences
1.3 finding poetry

early life

james whitcomb riley, john singer sargent, 1903


family , background

james whitcomb riley born on october 7, 1849, in town of greenfield, indiana, third of 6 children of reuben andrew , elizabeth marine riley. riley s father attorney, , in year before riley s birth, elected member of indiana house of representatives democrat. developed friendship james whitcomb, governor of indiana, after whom named son. martin riley, riley s uncle, amateur poet wrote verses local newspapers. riley fond of uncle helped influence interest in poetry.

shortly after riley s birth, family moved larger house in town. riley quiet boy, not talkative, go 1 eye shut observed , speculated. mother taught him read , write @ home before sending him local community school in 1852. found school difficult , in trouble. punished, had nothing kind of teachers in writings. poem educator told of intelligent sinister teacher , may have been based on 1 of instructors. riley fond of last teacher, lee o. harris. harris noticed riley s interest in poetry , reading , encouraged him pursue further.

riley s school attendance sporadic, , graduated grade 8 @ age twenty in 1869. in 1892 newspaper article, riley confessed knew little of mathematics, geography, or science, , understanding of proper grammar poor. later critics, henry beers, pointed poor education reason success in writing; prose written in language of common people spurred popularity.

childhood influences

old swimming hole appears in riley s poems large , well-used park on east side of greenfield.

riley lived in parents home until twenty-one years old. @ 5 years old began spending time @ brandywine creek outside greenfield. poems barefoot boy , old swimmin hole referred time @ creek. introduced in childhood many people later influenced poetry. father regularly brought home variety of clients , disadvantaged people give them assistance. riley s poem raggedy man based on german tramp father hired work @ family home. riley picked cadence , character of dialect of central indiana travelers along old national road. speech influenced hundreds of poems wrote in nineteenth century hoosier dialect.

riley s mother told him stories of fairies, trolls, , giants, , read him children s poems. superstitious, , influenced riley many of beliefs. both placed spirit rappings in homes on places tables , bureaus capture spirits may have been wandering about. influence recognized in many of works, including flying islands of night.

as common @ time, riley , friends had few toys , amused activities. mother s aid, riley began creating plays , theatricals , friends practice , perform in of local grocery store. grew older, boys named troupe adelphians , began have shows in barns fit larger audiences. riley wrote of these performances in poem when first played show , referred himself jamesy.

many of riley s poems filled musical references. riley had no musical education, , not read sheet music, learned father how play guitar, , friend how play violin. performed in 2 different local bands, , became proficient on violin invited play group of adult freemasons @ several events. few of later poems set music , song, 1 of known being short nin bread song—pieced out.

when riley ten years old, first library opened in hometown. age developed love of literature. , friends spent time @ library librarian read stories , poems them. charles dickens became 1 riley s favorites, , helped inspire poems st. lirriper, christmas season, , god bless every one.

riley s father enlisted in union army during american civil war, leaving wife manage family home. while away, family took in twelve-year-old orphan named mary alice allie smith. smith inspiration riley s poem little orphant annie . riley intended name poem little orphant allie , typesetter s error changed name of poem during printing.

finding poetry

riley s father returned war partially paralyzed. unable continue working in legal practice , family fell financial distress. war had negative physiological effect on him, , relationship family deteriorated. opposed riley s interest in poetry , encouraged him find different career. family finances disintegrated , forced sell town home in april 1870 , return country farm. riley s mother able keep peace in family, after death in august heart disease, riley , father had final break. blamed mother s death on father s failure care in final weeks. continued regret loss of childhood home , wrote of how cruelly snatched him war, subsequent poverty, , mother s death. after events of 1870, developed addiction alcohol struggled remainder of life.

a sign riley created advertising own services sign painter

becoming increasingly belligerent toward father, riley moved out of family home , briefly had job painting houses before leaving greenfield in november 1870. recruited bible salesman , began working in nearby town of rushville, indiana. job provided little income , returned greenfield in march 1871 started apprenticeship painter. completed study , opened business in greenfield creating , maintaining signs. earliest known poems verses wrote clever advertisements customers.

riley began participating in local theater productions adelphians earn income, , during winter months, when demand painting declined, riley began writing poetry mailed brother living in indianapolis. brother acted agent , offered poems newspaper indianapolis mirror free. first poem featured on march 30, 1872 under pseudonym jay whit. riley wrote more twenty poems newspaper, including 1 featured on front page.

in july 1872, after becoming convinced sales provide more income sign painting, joined mccrillus company based in anderson, indiana. company sold patent medicines marketed in small traveling shows around indiana. riley joined act huckster, calling himself painter poet . traveled act, composing poetry , performing @ shows. after act sold tonics audience, employing dishonesty. during 1 stop, riley presented himself formerly blind painter had been cured tonic, using himself evidence encourage audience purchase product.

riley began sending poems brother again in february 1873. same time , several friends began advertisement company. men traveled around indiana creating large billboard-like signs on sides of buildings , barns , in high places visible distance. company financially successful, riley continually drawn poetry. in october traveled south bend took job @ stockford & blowney painting verses on signs month; short duration of job may have been due frequent drunkenness @ time.

in 1874, riley returned greenfield become writer full-time. in february submitted poem entitled @ last danbury news, connecticut newspaper. editors accepted poem, paid him it, , wrote him letter encouraging him submit more. riley found note , first payment inspiring. began submitting poems regularly editors, after newspaper shut down in 1875, riley left without paying publisher. began traveling , performing adelphians around central indiana earn income while searched new publisher. in august 1875 joined traveling tonic show run wizard oil company.

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