Childhood influences James Whitcomb Riley

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.