Romantic Era Short Stories
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.
- disputatious
- evinced
- gambol
- impunity
- obsequious
- scrupulous
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:
- Integration of Nature: The setting of "Rip Van Winkle" is the Catskill Mountains six years before the Revolutionary War. The mountains are used as an escape mechanism for Rip; he is able to flee from the pressures of society and domestic responsibilities inflicted upon him by his wife. When he wakes up twenty years later, everything he knows has changed. Traditions of his culture are different, a new country has been established, his children are grown, and his wife has died. The only things that have not changed are the mountains and nature that surrounded him for twenty years. Irving offers a commentary on the ability of cultures to change and adapt while nature remains unchanged. As progress moves forward, it is inevitable for change to happen, but we rarely notice it because we experience it slowly. Rip does not have that option. Change for him is radical, drastic, and jarring.
- Archetypes: Rip Van Winkle is the classic archetype for the un-made man, a stark contrast to the self-made Benjamin Franklin. Rather than conforming to societal expectations of order, duty, and responsibility, he avoids work and responsibility at all costs. In contrast to Rip, his wife is portrayed as a nagging woman who drives her husband to drink and run away from home. They represent the "battle of the sexes," a conflict between husband and wife in the most basic sense.
- Satire: Satire is used in literature to demean or ridicule human folly and shortcomings. Satire is often humorous, but is not always meant to be funny in a literal sense. Authors ridicule a human failure in order to show their disapproval.
Take a moment to review examples of figurative language as well as irony:
- Personification: the giving of human qualities to a non-human subject
- Simile: a direct comparison of dissimilar things using "like" or "as"
- Metaphor: an implied comparison in which two very different things are compared
- Irony: a contrast or discrepancy between what is said or done in relation to what actually happens or is understood
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.