Washington-Irving

WashingtonIrving(pseudonyms:DietrichKnickerbocker,JonathanOldstyle,GeoffreyCrayonAchievements:1.IrvingisthefirstbelletristinAmericanliterature,writingforpleasureatatimewhenwritingwaspracticalandforusefulpurposes.2.HeisthefirstAmericanliteraryhumorist.3.Hehaswrittenthefirstmodernshortstories.4.Heisthefirsttowritehistoryandbiographyasentertainment.5.Heintroducedthenonfictionproseasaliterarygenre.6.HisuseofthegothiclooksforwardtoPoe.(fromPerkins,et.al.TheAmericanTraditioninLiterature.6thEd.OneVolume)7.HeisthefirstAmericanprosestylist.DiedrichKnickerbockerFelixO.C.Darley,washdrawing,1849Lifeexperience1.Bornin1783toawealthymerchant’sfamily,accordingtoananecdotenamedafterGeorgeWashington2.In1806becamealawyer3.Attendantofhisfamilybusinessuntilitcollapsedin18184.SojourninEurope(inGermany,France,Spain)1815-1832,1829-1831serviceassecretaryoftheAmericanlegationinLondon5.1836hemadehishomeatSunnyside,nearTarrytown6.1842-1845serviceasministertoSpainMajorPublications1.LettersofJonathanOldstyle18022.AHistoryofNewYork,byDietrichKnickerbicker18093.TheSketchBook1819-20(asGeoffreyCrayon)-contains“RipVanWinkle”and“TheLegendofSleepyHollow”4.TalesofATraveler18245.TheChronicleoftheConquestofGranada18296.TheAlhambra18327.EssaysandSketches18378.TheLifeofGeorgeWashing9.CompleteWorks,1969-89(30vols.)RipVonWinkle1.Figuresofspeech(withsomeexamplestakenfromtheLegendofSleepyHollow)JosephJeffersonasRipVanWinkle.GeorgeWaters,oiloncanvas,1871.a.Sounddevice:alliteration;Rhyme;(endrhyme)e.g.Whentheweatherisfairandsettled,theyareclothedinblueandpurple,andprinttheirboldoutlinesonthecleareveningsky…e.g.…hewas,moreover,akindneighbor,andanobedienthenpeckedhusband.e.g.Theirtempers,doubtless,arerenderedpliantandmalleableinthefieryfurnaceofdomestictribulation;…e.g...whowilltaketheworldeasy,eatwhitebreadorbrowne.g.Hewasafterhisfavoritesportofsquirrelshooting,andthestillsolitudeshadechoedandre-echoed(rhyme)withthereportsofhisgun.e.g.uphillanddowndalee.g.…thoughallrathertheworseforthewear(alliteration)andtearoftime;e.g….Therewasthedoughtydough-nut,thetendereroilykoek,andthecrispandcrumblingcruller;sweetcakesandshortcakes,gingercakesandhoneycakes,andthewholefamilyofcakes.Andthentherewereapplepiesandpeachpiesandpumpkinpies;besidesslicesofhamandsmokedbeef;andmoreoverdelectabledishesofpreservedplums,andpeaches,andpears,andquinces;nottomentionbroiledshadandroastedchickens;togetherwithbowlsofmilkandcream,allmingledhiggledy-piggledy(onomatopoeia,meaningdisordered,mixedwithoutsysteminfml.),prettymuchasIhaveenumeratedthem…p91b.hyperbole:e.g.curtainlecturee.g.wasthriceblessede.g.butwhatcouragecanwithstandtheeverduringandall-besettingterrorsofawoman’stongue?e.g.Morning,noon,andnight,hertonguewasincessantlygoing,everythinghesaidordidwassuretoproduceatorrentofhouseholdeloquence.e.g.ThemomentWolfenteredthehousehiscrestfell,histaildroopedtoptheground,orcurledbetweenhislegs,hesneakedaboutwithagallowsair,castingmanyasidelongglanceatDameVanWinkle,andattheleastflourishofabroomstickorladle,hewouldflytothedoorwithyelpingprecipitation.c.Euphemismd.Personificatione.Metaphor2.Structurebeginning–thepersonageofRip(personalityandhabitsandRipinrelationwithhiswifeandchildrenandhiscountryfolk)development—squirrelshooting,meetingofthedwarf,theencounterofthestrangegroupoftheDutchplayersofninepins,andthethirstytasteoftheliquoroutoftheflagon;climax—thereturnofthenative,everythinghadchanged;AmericaasasubjecttoGeorgeIIIhadbecameademocraticindependentstate—U.S.A.denouement—there-habitationofRiptotheoldcommunityending—theendofourherosittingbeforetheinntellinghispaststories—arevelationofWashingtonIrving’ssomewhatconservativeviewoftheWarofIndependenceandthenewsituation,forIrvingwasalwaysanadmireroftheContinent’sdeep-rootedculture3.ThemeThelostpast,thegoldenageintheGardenofEden,aborrowedthemefromGermanandSpanishlegends,anillustrationofIrving’sargumentthatchangeandrevolutionupsetthenaturalorderofthings,andofthefactthatIrvingneverseemedtoacceptamoderndemocraticAmerica.4.styleInoneword—beautifulNevershockingandabitsentimentalattimes,hismannerseemsmoreimportantthanhismatterThegentility,urbanity,andpleasantnesssensuousexperienceallrecordhisimpressionstohelpthereaderstosee(thequietandbeautifulcountrysceneoftheglen,theskinnyschoolmasterwithfloppylimbsmostlooselyhungtogether)smell(theclearair,thefragranceofgrassandflowers),hear(thethumpingoftheheadlesshorseman,therumblingofthegameoftheninepins)taste(thevariousfoodinthehallofBones’party)andtotouchLackofmoralizingonlytoamuseandentertainVividandtruecharacterportrayal(thehenpeckedRip,andtheSchoolmaster)Simple,slimplotHumoristlanguage(usingsuchtechniquesasirony,ridicule,hyperbole,anti-climax,understatement,etc.)Finished&musicallanguageIrvingwascreditedastheAmericanGoldsmith.TheLegendofSleepyHollowCharactersIchaboldCrane:shrewd,commercial,lazy,cowardly,andlusty,acity-slicker,whoisratheraninterloper,asomewhatdestructiveforce,andwhocomesalongtoswindlethevillagersBromBones:aHuckFinntype,rough,vigorous,boisterousbutinwardlyverygood,afrontie