Washington Irving: 1783-1859.

First among American writers to obtain universal recognition abroad, the first true literary artist and the earliest "classic", is Washington Irving. If some few among our earlier pioneers in letters had already detected in American soil the germs of a native literature, it is Irving to whom belongs the honor of successfully developing those germs in works which still preserve their freshness, their delicacy, and their charm. To the inspiration of native themes Irving owed much of his ample success.

His first contributions to literature were made in 1802, when he published in the Morning Chronicle, a paper just established by his elder brother, a series of letters signed Jonathan Oldstyle. These papers were in frank imitation of the “Spectator” and “Tatler” essays, full of boyish humor, and directed with the audacity of youth at some of the visible follies of the day.

Irving, together with his intimate friend, James K. Paulding, and his brother, William Irving, joined in a rollicking bit of literary mystification -- the publication at irregular intervals of a lively little journal entitled “Salmagundi”. This publication appeared anonymously throughout its successful career, which continued from January, 1807, to January, 1808, and included twenty numbers. The series was modeled upon the periodicals of Addison and Steele; the style was amateurish; the humor was of a coarser type, but it tickled the fancy of its readers from the start. Its modest programme was announced in the first number. "Our intention is simply to instruct the young, reform the old, correct the town, and castigate the age."

Two years later, in December, 1809, appeared Irving's first notable work, the famous “Knickerbocker History of New York”. Its author was twenty-six years old. It is still recognized as the masterpiece of American humor. From our modern point of view it was the first American book. Not only was it the starting-point of the Knickerbocker tradition, but it was pleasing testimony to the fact that even in the recently developed civilization of the New World material existed which possessed true literary value. While the lively humor of Knickerbocker proved unnecessarily irritating to some of the descendants of the Dutch heroes so cleverly caricatured by Irving, the good-natured laughter of the historian was understood and heartily echoed by most of Irving's contemporaries. In England the “History” was read and applauded. It proved the introduction of Irving to the literary circle in which he was soon to mingle; and Sir Walter Scott declared that it was as good as the work of Jonathan Swift.

In 1817 he paid a visit of personal tribute to Walter Scott, which he has so charmingly described in the sketch of “Abbotsford”.

In 1818 Washington Irving betook himself more seriously to literary effort. “The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Esq.”, was published in America, in 1819. This first series contained the first five of the sketches including “Rip Van Winkle”. The completed work appeared in 1820. It proved an instant success in America, and with its issue by a British publisher that same year Irving's literary fame was established. The genial spirit, delicate humor, and graceful sentiment, together with its flowing diction, placed the “Sketch-Book” among the best examples of this familiar essay type in our literature.

A group of studies dealing with the household pleasures of the holiday season at a typical English hall is particularly attractive, and is our first introduction to the environment which Irving chose as the setting of his next book “Bracebridge Hall” (1822).

Two years thereafter, the third in this series of sketch-books, -- for all are modeled on the same general plan, -- “The Tales of a Traveller” appeared. Irving's best work is found among these sketches and tales. These tales exhibit their author as a master in narrative, and are justly regarded as our earliest examples of that highly developed form of literature -- the short story.

If we choose to group the works of Irving according to their themes, it is easy to find an order of division. Following that first group of early essays, including the “Knickerbocker History”, the “Sketch-Book”, “Bracebridge Hall”, and “Tales of a Traveller” (1809-24), we have a well-defined period in the author's life during which his interest centres in the historical records of Spain.

In 1826, Irving went to Madrid to make a translation of some important historical documents then appearing as extracts from the journals of Columbus. Impressed with the richness of this material bearing on the discovery of the New World, he determined to write a life of the great navigator. Thus the author became the first among American writers to draw upon that store of romantic legend and rich historic chronicle which have given fascination and allurement to this poetic and picturesque land of Spain. Besides his “Life and Voyages of Columbus” (1828) and the “Voyages and Discoveries of the Companions of Columbus” (1831), his most serious undertakings, Irving wrote a “Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada” (1829) and -- most attractive of all the Spanish series -- the “Alhambra” (1832). This last volume is another "sketch-book."

The home-coming was signalized by a spontaneous outburst of hearty welcome which partly expressed itself in a public banquet tendered by the city of New York to her own humorous historian, "the Dutch Herodotus, Diedrich Knickerbocker" -- as the recipient was facetiously named in a toast. Greatly impressed by the development of his country during the years of his absence, Irving made an extended tour in the South and the West, pushing out into the wild regions of the Pawnee country, on the waters of the Arkansas. In his “Tour on the Prairies” (1835), the author describes the life of the ranger and the trapper as he saw it on this excursion. But the characteristic feature of this period in Irving's life is his establishment at Sunnyside, near Tarrytown, on the Hudson.

The literary work of the next ten years is comparatively unimportant: “Abbotsford and Newstead Abbey” (1835), “Legends of the Conquest of Spain” (1836), “Astoria” (1836), “Adventures of Captain Bonneville” (1837), and sketches contributed to the Knickerbocker Magazine complete the record.

His “Life of Goldsmith” (1849), “Mahomet and his Successors” (1850), and his noteworthy “Life of Washington” (1855-59) occupied the last years. In 1855, the sketches contributed some years before to the Knickerbocker Magazine were published under the title of “Wolfert's Roost”. Irving's Washington represents the most serious labor of his entire career. Depreciated by many critics as without historical value, it has been praised by others; its power and charm as a literary work have never failed of appreciation.

It is his simplicity, his cheeriness of spirit, his native humor and cordial grace of address which most distinguish the man in his literary work. He is always amiable -- a truly lovable soul.

The writings of Washington Irving are not, in the largest sense, great; but they have the literary qualities that always charm and are always valued. The reader will be impressed with the gentleness, the geniality, the wholesome enjoyment in life, the hearty sympathy with all things human, which distinguished the winning personality of the man. It should be noted that the sources of Irving's material are almost entirely in the past, in history, biography, and tradition; also that the subjects which attracted his attention are romantic. Irving was an idealist and a lover of romance.

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