born in New York City (near present-day Wall St.)

youngest of 11 children

parents were Scottish-English immigrants

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 – first published works appeared in 1802

1802-3 published a series of newspaper articles ridiculing New York society

1807-8 published the Salmagundi papers, satirical essays

1809 published 1st major work – A History of New York

this work marked Irving’s future course:

it was designed solely for entertainment it taught no serious moral lessons

First, a newspaper noted the disappearance of a “small, elderly gentleman, dressed in an old back coat and cocked hat, by the name of “Knickerbocker,” adding that there were “some reasons for believing he is not in his right mind.” After further “news” items, the old man’s fictitious landlord announced that he had found in Knickerbocker’s room a “very curious kind of written book” which he intended to publish in order to pay the past rent owed.

his fiancée died in 1809

accounts for melancholic cast over rest of his life and work“For years I could not talk on the subject of this hopeless regret; I could not even metion her name; but her image was continually before me, and I dreamt of her incessantly.

sailed for England to take charge of family business in Liverpool

when it bankrupted, he concentrated on literary career

Met Sir Walter Scott, who directed him to the wealth of unused literary material found in German folktales.

traveled throughout England, France, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland

wrote history of Christopher Columbus

1819 - 1820 published The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon, it included “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

Old Rip

By the late 1820s, Irving had gained a reputation throughout Europe and America as a great writer and thinker

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

On November 28, 1859, on the eve of the Civil War, Washington Irving died at Sunnyside surrounded by his family.

He was buried in

the Sleepy Hollow

Cemetery at the

Old Dutch

Church

1. Made short fiction popularAfter the triumph of The Sketch Book, sketches and tales became the literary fashion in America

So popular and so many that publishers needed new venues for them

Short story magazines were born in the 1830s and 40s as an indirect consequence of Irving’s success as a sketch artist.

2. First prominent writer to strip the prose tale of its moral and didactic elements and to make of it a literary form solely for entertainment.

“I have preferred addressing myself to the feeling and fancy of the reader more that to his judgment… My writings, therefore, may appear light and trifling to our country of philosophers and politicians.”

3. He added to the short tale richness of atmosphere and unity of tone.

4. He added definite locality, actual American scenery and people. • He was a pioneer in that new school which demanded

an American literature, an art that would work in native materials in an original manner.

5. First short fiction writer to realize that the shorter forms of narrative could be made something new and different, but that to do it required a peculiar nicety of execution and patient workmanship.

6. Added humor to the short story and lightness of touch, making it human and appealing.

7. He was original, avoiding the “commonplace of the day.”

8. His characters are always definite individuals and not types or symbols.

9. He endowed the short story with a distinctive and beautiful style.

All photos in this PowerPoint presentation

came from the American Memory Collection

of the Library of Congress

Back to Beginning Home