180 likes | 568 Views
Washington Irving: American Romanticism. Washington Irving 1783-1859. born in New York City (near present-day Wall St.) youngest of 11 children parents were Scottish-English immigrants . Biographical Information. his parents greatly admired General George Washington (hence his name)
E N D
Washington Irving1783-1859 • born in New York City (near present-day Wall St.) • youngest of 11 children • parents were Scottish-English immigrants
Biographical Information • his parents greatly admired General George Washington (hence his name) • his father became a wealthy merchant • he trained as a lawyer but practiced only briefly • showed literary promise early in his life
Writing Career Begins • 1802-3 published a series of newspaper articles • 1807-8 published the Salmagundi papers • 1809 published 1st major work – A History of New York • it was supposedly written by Deidrich Knickerbocker, an old, eccentric historian
this work marked Irving’s future course • it was designed solely for entertainment • it taught no serious moral lessons • his fiancée died in 1809 • accounts for melancholic cast over rest of his life and work
Career Shifts to Europe in 1815 • sailed for England to take charge of family business in Liverpool • when it bankrupted, he concentrated on literary career • traveled throughout England, France, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland • wrote history of Christopher Columbus
Literary Career Continues • 1819 - 1820 published The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon, • it included “Rip Van Winkle”and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” Old Rip
Irving’s Literary Pseudonyms • Dietrich Knickerbocker • Jonathan Oldstyle • Geoffrey Crayon
Irving Widely Recognized • By the late 1820s, Irving had gained a reputation throughout Europe and America as a great writer and thinker
Returns to America in 1832 • returned from Europe to New York • established his home Sunnyside in Tarrytown • never married or had children • for next 25 years he shared Sunnyside with his brother Ebenezer and Ebenezer's 5 daughters
First Genuine American Stories • “Rip Van Winkle” “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” • contained distinctive American settings and characters • incorporated German folktales and legends
Irving’s Grave On November 28, 1859, on the eve of the Civil War, Washington Irving died at Sunnyside surrounded by his family.
Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. He was buried in the Sleepy Hollow Cemeteryat the Old Dutch Church
Works Cited All photos in this PowerPoint presentation came from the American Memory Collection of the Library of Congress Back to Beginning Home