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Washington Irving (1783-1859 ) Washington Irving Introduction Life experience Writing style Contribution Major works Introduction Washington Irving(1783-1859) American author, short story writer, essayist, poet, travel book writer, biographer, and columnist. He was one of the first American writers to earn an international reputation, and regarded as an early Romantic writer in the American literary history and Father of the American short stories. Life Experience Washington Irving was born in New York City on April 3, 1783 as the youngest of 11 children. His parents, Scottish-English immigrants, were great admirers of General George Washington, and named their son after their hero. Early in his life Irving developed a passion for books. He studied law privately but practiced only briefly. From 1804 to 1806 he traveled widely in Europe. After returning to the United States, Irving was admitted to the New York bar in 1806. Life Experience 3) He was a partner with his brothers in the family hardware business and representative of the business in England until it collapsed in 1818. During the war of 1812 Irving was a military aide to New York Governor Tompkins in the U.S. Army. 4） Irvings career as a writer started in journals and newspapers. His success in social life and literature was shadowed by a personal tragedy because his engaged love died at the age of seventeen. So he never married or had children. 5） After the death of his mother, Irving decided to stay in Europe, where he remained for seventeen years from 1815 to 1832. Writing style Imitative, but highly skillful His writing with great humor Vivid and true characters Avoid moralizing as much as possible Never shocking and a bit sentimental at time . Writing style He parodies or imitates Homer, Cervantes, Fielding, Swift and many other favorites of his. He was also absorbed in what he called “the rich mine of German literature” and got ideas from German legends for two of his famous stories “R