Riley, James Whitcomb
Riley, James Whitcomb (1849–1916),American poet. During his lifetime, Riley enjoyed enormous popularity. Known as ‘The Hoosier Poet’ or ‘the people's poet’, he drew material from Midwestern literature, fairy tales, and speech patterns. His verses, written in folk dialect, expressed the myth of rural America, with phrases such as ‘When the frost is on the punkin’ and ‘the old swimin'‐hole’. Riley's ‘Raggedy Man’ inspired Johnny Gruelle's Raggedy Ann and Andy books. His most enduring creation, ‘Little Orphan Annie’—‘the Gobble‐uns'll git you | Ef you | Don't | Watch | Out’—became part of childhood folklore and the name of a classic comic strip (the source of the Broadway musical Annie).
Anita Silvey
Bibliography
Morrow, Barbara Olenyik, From Ben‐Hur to Sister Carrie: Remembering the Lives and Works of Five Indiana Authors (1995).
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