The Merman by James Whitcomb Riley
The story revolves around a young boy who befriends a merman and learns about the underwater world. The merman teaches him about the importance of kindness and generosity towards all living creatures.
By James Whitcomb Riley · First published 1888 · Genre: Poetry, Fantasy, Humor · 412 words
First lines
I. Who would be / A merman gay, / Singing alone, / Sitting alone, / With a mermaid's knee, / For instance -- hey -- / For a throne?
II. I would be a merman gay; / I would sit and sing the whole day long; / I would fill my lungs with the strongest brine, / And squirt it up in a spray of song, / And soak my head in my liquid voice; / I'd curl my tail in curves divine, / And let each curve in a kink rejoice.
What this Textopian page supports
The Merman is listed on Textopian as a poem by James Whitcomb Riley, dated 1888 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: 1888 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Fantasy, Humor, Adventure
- Length: 412 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Merman 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
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form with rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetry.
- Fantasy — The narrative involves mythical creatures like mermen and mermaids, set in an imaginative underwater world.
- Humor — The playful and whimsical tone, along with the lighthearted depiction of interactions, suggests a humorous genre.
- Adventure — The poem describes adventurous and playful activities under the sea, indicating an adventurous theme.
Tags
Fiction · Poetry · Nautical · Mythology · Fantasy · Sea · Mermaid · Merman · Underwater · Adventure · Romance · Classic