Romantic Era Short Stories

Washington Irving is an iconic author of the Romantic period whose ideas challenge reason and logic. His continued status as a popular poet makes his poems some of the most read American poetry. In this topic, you will read one of Washington Irving's short stories called "Rip Van Winkle," which tells the tale of a man who falls asleep on a mountainside and awakens twenty years later.

Essential Question

• How is "Rip Van Winkle" a representative of Romantic prose?
• How is the thematic content of "Rip Van Winkle" still relevant today?