James Whitcomb Riley, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

James Whitcomb Riley

American poet from Indianapolis

Date of Birth: 07-Oct-1849

Place of Birth: Greenfield, Indiana, United States

Date of Death: 22-Jul-1916

Profession: writer, poet

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Libra


Show Famous Birthdays Today, United States

👉 Worldwide Celebrity Birthdays Today

About 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.

Read more at Wikipedia

See Also