Home at Night
The poem explores the theme of a person's return home after a long day, and the sense of comfort and security that comes with it. The speaker describes the feeling of being enveloped in the warmth and light of their home, and the joy of being reunited with loved ones. The poem also touches on the idea of the home as a sanctuary from the stresses and challenges of the outside world.
By James Whitcomb Riley · First published 1883 · Genre: Poetry, Pastoral, Lyrical · 148 words
First lines
When chirping crickets fainter cry, And pale stars blossom in the sky, And twilight's gloom has dimmed the bloom And blurred the butterfly:
When locust-blossoms fleck the walk, And up the tiger-lily stalk The glow-worm crawls and clings and falls And glimmers down the garden-walls:
When buzzing things, with double wings Of crisp and raspish flutterings, Go whizzing by so very nigh One thinks of fangs and stings: --
O then, within, is stilled the din Of crib she rocks the baby in, And heart and gate and latch's weight Are lifted -- and the lips of Kate.
What this Textopian page supports
Home at Night is listed on Textopian as a poem by James Whitcomb Riley, dated 1883 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: James Whitcomb Riley
- Date: 1883 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Pastoral, Lyrical, Romantic
- Length: 148 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Confusing
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Home at Night by James Whitcomb Riley
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
- In The Afternoon by James Whitcomb Riley
- A Summer Evening by W. B. Yeats
- Sleep Song by Joyce Kilmer
- The Evening Company by James Whitcomb Riley
- My Night by James Whitcomb Riley
- A Summer Afternoon by James Whitcomb Riley
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form with rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetry.
- Pastoral — The imagery and themes focus on nature and rural life, typical of pastoral literature.
- Lyrical — The work expresses personal emotions and observations, aligning with the lyrical genre.
- Romantic — The emphasis on nature and emotion reflects elements of Romantic literature.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · 19th Century · Nature · Evening · Nighttime · Solitude · Reflection · Peaceful · Serene · Rural · Idyllic