James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley ( October 7, 1849 in Greenfield, Indiana, † July 22, 1916 in Indianapolis, Indiana ) was an American novelist and poet.

Life and work

Riley's most famous work is called Little Annie Orphant. One of the most famous poems of Whitcomb Riley When I see a bird did walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call did bird a duck. It has taken the derived so-called duck test in the 1950 entry into the American policy and the name of duck typing results based on it. The original origin of this phrase is controversial. You could go back to the logic of William of Ockham.

Riley is very well known for his in Indiana ( " Hoosier " ) dialect written poems. In some cases, he also wrote children's poems. Since children were very important to him in general, he committed himself to it. Even today, there is the Riley Children's Foundation, which built the Riley Hospital For Children in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Riley held many contacts with famous people of that time, such as Mark Twain. He died on 22 July 1916 at the age of 66 years in Indianapolis and found on the Crown Hill Cemetery their final resting place.

Films (selection)

• William Nicholas Selig (director): There, little girl, do not cry. , 1910.
• William Nicholas Selig (director): The old swimming hole. , 1910. Remake: Joseph De Grasse (director): The old swimming hole. In 1921.

• Remake: Harry Garson (director): An old sweetheart of mine. In 1923.