
By James Whitcomb Riley
TO THE GOOD OLD-FASHIONED PEOPLE
RILEY FARM-RHYMES
THE ORCHARD LANDS OF LONG AGO
WHEN THE FROST IS ON THE PUNKIN
WHEN THE GREEN GITS BACK IN THE TREES
WET-WEATHER TALK
THE BROOK-SONG
THOUGHTS FER THE DISCURAGED FARMER
"MYLO JONES'S WIFE"
Step into a sun‑kissed patch of America where every rhyme hums with the buzz of crickets, the clatter of farmhands, and the soft sigh of wind through orchard trees. The verses spill like fresh‑cut hay, painting mornings of frost‑bitten pumpkins, afternoons of buzzing bees, and evenings awash in the amber glow of a setting sun. With a colloquial twang that feels both timeless and intimate, the poet invites listeners to hear the chorus of bluebirds, the gossip of chipmunks, and the hearty laughter that rises from a humble kitchen table.
These gentle, rhythmic sketches celebrate the cycles of planting, harvest, and the simple pleasures of rural life—apple‑cider fermenting in the cellar, fresh‑baked bread, and the rustle of a haystack under a farmer’s boots. The language rolls like a creaking porch swing, drawing you into a world where each season returns with its own melody and every line feels like a friendly chat with a neighbor. It’s a cozy auditory stroll through fields that still remember the taste of summer’s first apple.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (58K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Robert Rowe, Charles Franks, David Widger and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
Release date
2003-12-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1849–1916
Best known as the “Hoosier Poet,” he wrote warm, musical verse about Midwestern life, childhood, and everyday people. His poems were hugely popular in his lifetime and helped make him one of America’s best-loved public literary figures.
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