Washington Irving
As one of the early writers during the Romantic era, Washington Irving earned international acclaim for his work and inspired later writers of Romanticism. In this interactivity, click on each of the tabs to explore the life of Washington Irving and his contributions to American literature. Click on the player button to begin.
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You may have already seen these terms in the module overview, but you will see these again in the following short story. Take a moment to review list of terms below and their definitions. If you need to review the meanings of these terms, be sure to access the glossary.
Access and read Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle." In the introduction to the Rip Van Wrinkle tale, Irving suggests that the story is part of the "true history" belonging to a genuine Dutch family discovered by one Diedrich Knickerbocker. However, this frame story is not meant to be taken seriously; Rip's archetype offers a humorous foil to the typical self-made man of early America. Rip is lazy, unmotivated, and hen-pecked by his wife. As you read this story, mentally make a note of what you find humorous and of any points you think are still applicable to modern society.
Literary Elements and Figurative Language in "Rip Van Winkle"
In addition to its Romantic characteristics, "Rip Van Winkle" brings to mind several literary elements:
Take a moment to review examples of figurative language as well as irony:
There are numerous examples of figurative language, irony, and foreshadowing in Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle." Were you able to identify examples of personification, simile, metaphor, irony, or foreshadowing in the text? In this interactivity, click the checkboxes on the clipboard to examine a list of literary devices within "Rip Van Winkle" in more detail. Click on the player button to begin.
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Rip Van Winkle Review
Now that you have explored the life of Washington Irving and his story "Rip Van Winkle," review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. First, read each quotation from "Rip Van Winkle," and then select the corresponding literary device. Second, drag the vocabulary words from the story and drop them next to the synonyms. Click on the player button to get started.