Poetry Explorer


Classic and Contemporary Poetry


THE STEPMOTHER by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

Poet Analysis

First Line: FIRST SHE COME TO OUR HOUSE
Last Line: SHE'S PURT' NIGH GOOD AS MOTHER WAS!
Subject(s): DEATH; FAMILY LIFE; LOVE; MOTHERS; STEPMOTHERS; DEAD, THE; RELATIVES;

FIRST she come to our house,
Tommy run and hid;
And Emily and Bob and me
We cried jus' like we did
When Mother died, -- and we all said
'At we all wisht 'at we was dead!

And Nurse she couldn't stop us;
And Pa he tried and tried, --
We sobbed and shook and wouldn't look,
But only cried and cried;
And nen some one -- we couldn't jus'
Tell who -- was cryin' same as us!

Our Stepmother! Yes, it was her,
Her arms around us all --
'Cause Tom slid down the banister
And peeked in from the hall. --
And we all love her, too, because
She's purt' nigh good as Mother was!



Home: PoetryExplorer.net