Elements Of Romanticism In The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

Washington Irving is one author that exhibits American Romanticism in almost every one of his short stories. He is known as one of the first authors to be publically recognized for his short stories, among which, is “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. This story is one of his most famous, created with an air of mystery and mystique while also maintaining the pride of America. With the use of different characteristics and themes, Washington Irving creates short stories that speak to the reader and emphasizes the different aspects of that day and age. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” exhibits characteristics and themes that portray American Romanticism: the essence of nature, mystical experiences and the emphasis on imagination, and the pride of the farmer are three of these characteristics and themes that are found within “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Washington Irving spends a large part of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” detailing nature and the atmosphere in the town of Sleepy Hollow. Nature, in Sleepy Hollow, is described as peaceful and still “there is a little valley, or rather lap of land, among high hills, which is one of the quietest places in the whole world. A small brook glides through it…and the
Irving writes about the hard work of a farmer and the sustaining power of a farming town like Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod Crane is consistently staying with different farmers throughout the short story and help in different ways around the farm; “he had various ways of rendering himself both useful and agreeable. He assisted the farmers…helped to make the hay, mended the fences, took the horses to water, drove the cows from the pasture, and cut wood for the winter fire”. (37) Irving uses Ichabod’s experiences to explain the amount of work goes into running a farm and by using Ichabod gives us a peek into the true American