Reach your Hand to Me by James Whitcomb Riley
The poem explores the theme of longing and separation between two people who are physically apart but emotionally connected. The speaker implores their loved one to reach out and touch them, symbolizing a deep emotional connection that transcends physical distance.
By James Whitcomb Riley · First published 1887 · Genre: Poetry, Friendship, Nostalgia · 221 words
First lines
Reach your hand to me, my friend, / With its heartiest caress -- / Sometime there will come an end / To its present faithfulness -- / Sometime I may ask in vain / For the touch of it again, / When between us land or sea / Holds it ever back from me.
Sometime I may need it so, / Groping somewhere in the night, / It will seem to me as though / Just a touch, however light, / Would make all the darkness day, / And along some sunny way / Lead me through an April-shower / Of my tears to this fair hour.
O the present is too sweet / To go on forever thus!
What this Textopian page supports
Reach your Hand to Me is listed on Textopian as a poem by James Whitcomb Riley, dated 1887 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: 1887 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Friendship, Nostalgia, Melancholy, Philosophical
- Length: 221 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Reach your Hand to Me by James Whitcomb Riley
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form with rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetry.
- Friendship — The central theme revolves around the bond and connection between friends.
- Nostalgia — The text reflects on the sweetness of the present and the inevitable changes of the future, evoking a sense of longing.
- Melancholy — The tone conveys a sense of sadness and contemplation about the impermanence of relationships.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · 19th Century · Children's Poetry · Nature Imagery · Whimsy · Imagination · Fantasy · Romance · Friendship · Love · Nostalgia