Riley, James Whitcomb | Daniel L. Marsh (essay date 1920)
Daniel L. Marsh (essay date 1920)
SOURCE: Marsh, Daniel L. “Practical Religion: Humble Service.” In The Faith of the People's Poet, pp. 205-29. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1920.
[In the following essay, Marsh reads Riley's poetry against Biblical stories and aphorisms to suggest that the down-to-earth, everyday qualities of his poems provide a foundation for daily religious practice.]
In his poem entitled “My Philosofy,” Riley declared
No man is grate tel he can see How less than little he would be Ef stripped to self, and stark and bare He hung his sign out anywhare.
In this instance his “Philosophy” squares with that of other great thinkers. Confucius once said: “Humility is the solid foundation of all the virtues.” John Ruskin said: “I believe that the first test of a truly great man is humility.” Whittier felt that
The Lord's best interpreters Are humble human souls....
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