James Whitcomb Riley

1 8.6

An American poet who wrote poems in local speech about life in the Midwest

proper noun
/dʒeɪmz ˈwɪθkəm ˈraɪli/

: James Whitcomb Riley

His poem 'Little Orphant Annie' is one of James Whitcomb Riley's most famous works.

Examples

Many schoolchildren in Indiana study the poetry of James Whitcomb Riley in literature class.
The house where James Whitcomb Riley lived is now a historic museum.
Many people admire James Whitcomb Riley for his unique style.
Did you read any poems by James Whitcomb Riley?
His poem 'Little Orphant Annie' is one of James Whitcomb Riley's most famous works.
Many schoolchildren in Indiana study the poetry of James Whitcomb Riley in literature class.
The house where James Whitcomb Riley lived is now a historic museum.

Surface Forms

James Whitcomb Riley main

Morphology

James + Whitcomb + Riley

This is a personal name composed of three proper nouns; knowing the individual name words does not allow a learner to infer that this string refers to an American poet (or his dates/style). Proper names are arbitrary identifiers rather than compositional phrases, so the referential meaning is not derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

James Whitcomb Riley is the name of an American poet who wrote simple, warm poems about country life and children. Because of famous poems like 'Little Orphant Annie', his name now brings to mind old-fashioned Midwestern poetry and childhood stories.