In the South. (Ragweed and Fennel)
The poem explores themes of nostalgia and longing for a simpler time. It describes the speaker's memories of childhood summers spent in the South, surrounded by the scents of ragweed and fennel. The poem is a nostalgic reflection on the passing of youth and the loss of innocence.
By James Whitcomb Riley · First published 1883 · Genre: Poetry, Romance, Fantasy · 339 words
First lines
There is a princess in the South / About whose beauty rumors hum / Like honey-bees about the mouth / Of roses dewdrops falter from; / And O her hair is like the fine / Clear amber of a jostled wine / In tropic revels; and her eyes / Are blue as rifts of Paradise.
Such beauty as may none before / Kneel daringly, to kiss the tips / Of fingers such as knights of yore / Had died to lift against their lips: / Such eyes as might the eyes of gold / Of all the stars of night behold / With glittering envy, and so glare / In dazzling splendor of despair.
What this Textopian page supports
In the South. (Ragweed and Fennel) 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, Romance, Fantasy, Medieval
- Length: 339 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for In the South. (Ragweed and Fennel) by James Whitcomb Riley
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse, with a focus on rhythm, meter, and rhyme, characteristic of poetic form.
- Romance — The themes revolve around beauty, admiration, and courtship, central to romantic literature.
- Fantasy — The imagery and idealized descriptions suggest a fantastical, almost otherworldly setting.
- Medieval — References to knights and minstrels evoke a medieval or chivalric context.
Tags
Poetry · Nature · Regionalism · American Literature · 19th Century · Rural Life · Farming · Agriculture · Seasonal Change · Autumn · Nostalgia · Sentimentality