Washington Irving And His Works Essay -- essays research papers

capital letter Irving and His Works     Washington Irving was born on April 3, 1783 in Tarrytown, New York. Hisfather was a merchant and own an import business. Irving had literaryinfluences early in his life. He was friends with Edgar Allen Poe, NathanielHawthorne, and Charles Dickens. Washington Irving had no formal schooling.Instead, he taught himself by reading as many books as possible.     Washington Irving had other interests than just writing. Irving was aninventor. He invented ice drinks and the dumb waiter. Irving was also anentrepreneur. "Early in his life Irving planned to follow his fathersfootsteps in the family business." (p. 187)     Irving had many writings in his literary career. His works include TheSketchbook, A History of New York, The Devil and Tom Walker, and Rip Van Winkle.Despite all of these well known works, Irving neer won any awards. Irvingsshort stories are The Legend of Sleepy holla and The Devil and Tom Walker.     The first semblance in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Devil and TomWalker is that nature proves to be a problem to the characters. In The Legendof Sleepy Hollow, the hollow is the setting for fear in Icabods high tales.Irving reflected on the dark setting many times in this story. "The swamp wasthickly grown with great gloomy pines and hemlocks." (Washington Irving. p. 57)In The Devil a...