Show RILEY EASY TO understand for that thai reason there Is 1 a class clas that refuses to recognize him as a great poet widely enjoyed and beloved the poetry of james whitcomb riley will probably always in out lifetime encounter a species of objections in the minds of many americans uis his poetry sings ings its force Is emo its sincere charm Is ab solta and depends not at all on being something like something else on the audiences recollection of greek verse or familiarity mili arity with japanese art or impressionistic landscape to the kind of reader tor for whom a recognizable musical idea limits instead of greatly liberating the communicative faculty of poetry to the kind of reader who thinks of poetry as a species of mere tight mouthed and cryptic prose to the kind of reader who Is worried by poets who will not give him so to speak any reliable library references for their inspiration to such american readers as these james whitcomb wileys rileys poetry must always seem all wrong and misguided anyone can understand his songs people have always been cutting them out of the newspapers and reciting them at ice cream socia bles and church benefits they are a part of the national consciousness new republic |