Washington Irving

Washington Irving

Born in 1783 in New York CityNamed after George WashingtonFrom a large, wealthy familyLearned to appreciate literature, art, theater, and operaLoved American landscapes and exploring the countrysideConsidered being a painter, but used his talent to write about American landscapes instead

Life

Spent much of his life abroadStudied law, but ended up joining the family business in EnglandStayed in Europe for the next 17 years and served as a U.S. diplomatLifeHumor, witComplex and interesting charactersStylized proseUse of European legends and events of the pastPioneered the short storyCharacteristics of His WritingThe Devil and Tom WalkerRip van WinkleThe Legend of Sleepy HollowNotable Works

ImageryThe descriptive words and phrases a writer uses to re-create sensory experiencesImagery is like a multimedia presentation in your mind, including pictures, sounds, physical sensations, tastes, and smellsImagery

Types of Imagery

AuditoryOlfactoryTactileGustatoryVisualKinestheticOrganicAuditory (Hearing)

The reader can hear the sounds being made/heard in the story.

Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble softThe redbreast whistles from a garden-croft,And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.Olfactory (Smell)

The reader can imagine the smells of the scents and odors in the writing.

"She smelled as sweet as roses."

"I was awakened by the strong smell of a freshly brewed coffee."Tactile (Touch)

The reader can imagine the feel or texture of certain things.

"The blanket was as soft as cotton and as smooth as silk."Gustatory (Taste)

The reader can imagine the taste of things described in the writing.

"She served the bland sea-shell pasta with the sweet marinana sauce.

"The first bite she took filled her mouth with a spicy kick from the jalapeos, and so she drank the sweet and fruity juice she had been given."

Visual (Sight)

The reader can see, or imagine in their mind, what scenes or settings the author is describing.

"The tavern was worn down with age, the wooden bar chipping away, the floors looking black from the dirt, and the ceiling carrying dark brown stains from water damage.

Over the winter glaciersI see the summer glow.And through the wild-piled snowdriftThe warm rosebuds below.Kinesthetic (Body)The reader can envision the movements and actions of a character or object.

"His body moved fluidly throughout the obstacle course, dodging every object thrown at him with agility and grace while speeding down the path.

"Her heartbeat was so loud, she felt it could be heard across the room."

Organic (Feeling)The reader can envision the movements and actions of a character or object.

"His body moved fluidly throughout the obstacle course, dodging every object thrown at him with agility and grace while speeding down the path.

"Her heartbeat was so loud, she felt it could be heard across the room."