James Whitcomb RILEY
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Transcript of James Whitcomb RILEY
James Whitcomb RILEYBy: Allison Rose Stogsdill
ChildhoodBorn October 2, 1849
Born in Greenfield, Indiana
Loved to read as a kid
Zachary Taylor was President
Already starting to write
FamilyMother wrote poems published in a Hancock
newspaper.
She died two years before he became a sign
painter.
His dad, attorney Reuben Riley was
Greenfield’s first mayor.
Dad also left to serve as a captain in the Civil
War, he survived
Riley was eleven.
How Riley Became FamousStarted as a painter and traveled with medicine.Also entertained crowds that came to the
wagon.Writing got him a job on the Anderson Democrat news paper in 1877.
“Poe poem” was published across the country
by excited newspaper editorsStill entertained audiences with his poetry and stories.
Awards and Honors
Bill Nye one of his admirers began a joint tour and
were signed by a booking agent about a year later.
Awarded degrees such as Yale, Penn, Indiana
University, and Wabash College.
He was united to the White House by Mrs. Grover
Cleveland.
Rudyard Kipling dedicated a poem to Riley.
All of his recitals were in Indiana.
DeathOften those closest to him realized he was
lonely and ill at the heart .
On Riley’s sixty-sixth birthday 1915 President
Wilson paid tribute.
Nine months later he died.
He died at the Lockerbie house.
Very few American poets ever been as
celebrated as Riley.
If Riley had done nothing else he introduced
poetry to thousands of people otherwise never
have read a verse.