Discouraging Model

A wry, deflationary poem from the Hoosier Poet James Whitcomb Riley, who earned wild popularity in his era by capturing the rhythms and foibles of ordinary American life. This piece takes its title with characteristic irony: what promise does this 'model' hold, and what happens when we examine it closely? Riley was beloved for his ability to find humor and pathos in the everyday, delivering lines that sounded like they were spoken by real people in real rooms, not crafted in studies. Whether he's skewering pretension, exposing the gap between appearance and reality, or simply having sport with the very idea of something being held up as exemplary, Riley writes with a twinkle and a wink. His readings packed theaters. His poems appeared in newspapers nationwide. This is slight but characteristic work from a man who understood that the most American thing of all is suspicion of anyone holding themselves up as a model.