Them Flowers by James Whitcomb Riley
The poem explores the fleeting nature of life and beauty through a series of vignettes about flowers that bloom and wither. It reflects on the transience of human existence and the inevitability of decline and death. The speaker observes how flowers are born, grow, and eventually fade away, serving as a metaphor for the human experience.
By James Whitcomb Riley · First published 1883 · Genre: Poetry, Sentimental, Pastoral · 314 words
First lines
Take a feller 'at's sick and laid up on the shelf, All shaky, and ga'nted, and pore -- Jes all so knocked out he can't handle hisself With a stiff upper-lip any more; Shet him up all alone in the gloom of a room As dark as the tomb, and as grim, And then take and send him some roses in bloom, And you can have fun out o' him!
You've ketched him 'fore now -- when his liver was sound And his appetite notched like a saw -- A-mockin' you, mayby, fer romancin' round With a big posy-bunch in yer paw; But you ketch him, say, when his health is away, And he's flat on his back in distress, And _then_ you kin trot out yer little bokay And not be insulted, I guess!
What this Textopian page supports
Them Flowers 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, Sentimental, Pastoral, Humor
- Length: 314 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form with rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetry.
- Sentimental — The themes revolve around nostalgia, emotion, and the comforting power of flowers, evoking sentimentality.
- Pastoral — The imagery of flowers and references to nature and rural life suggest pastoral elements.
- Humor — The tone includes light-heartedness and humor, especially in the depiction of the character's reaction to flowers.
Tags
Poetry · Nature · Flowers · Symbolism · Imagery · Literary Device · Figurative Language · Metaphor · Simile · Personification · Alliteration · Rhyme