Little Orphant Annie

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"Little Orphant Annie" is a poem written by beloved Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley. Originally published in 1885 under the title "The Elf Child," it was inspired by a girl named Mary Alice "Allie" Smith who lived and worked in the Riley household during the poet's childhood years in Greenfield, Indiana. Riley later changed the poem's title to "Little Orphant Allie," but, because of a typeset error, it was printed under its current title. Riley decided to keep the misprint because of the poem's growing popularity.[1] The title would later become the inspiration for the names of Little Orphan Annie and the Raggedy Ann doll (created by fellow Indiana native Johnny Gruelle).[2][3]

Known as both "The Hoosier Poet" and "The Children's Poet", Riley's tendency to write through the voice of a child using colloquial regional dialect is evident in "Little Orphant Annie".[4] The poem details the scary stories told by Allie/Annie when her housework was done, repeating the phrase "An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you ef you don't watch out!." It remains a favorite among children in Indiana and is often associated with Halloween celebrations.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Raggedy Man and Little Orphant Annie
  2. ^ The Raggedy Ann & Andy Museum - Ann's Story
  3. ^ Moment of Indiana History
  4. ^ Our Land, Our Literature: Literature - James Whitcomb Riley

[edit] External links

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