Author : Washington Irving
Country : United States
Genre : Short story, Speculative fiction
Published in : The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent
Publication Date : 1820
Challenge : LMRC - April - Romanticism
A movement in art and literature in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in revolt against the Neoclassicism of the previous centuries. The German poet Friedrich Schlegel, who is given credit for first using the term romantic to describe literature, defined it as "literature depicting emotional matter in an imaginative form." This is as accurate a general definition as can be accomplished, although Victor Hugo's phrase "liberalism in literature" is also apt. Imagination, emotion, and freedom are certainly the focal points of romanticism. Any list of particular characteristics of the literature of romanticism includes subjectivity and an emphasis on individualism; spontaneity; freedom from rules; solitary life rather than life in society; the beliefs that imagination is superior to reason and devotion to beauty; love of and worship of nature; and fascination with the past, especially the myths and mysticism of the middle ages.
"Not far from this village, perhaps about two miles, 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, with just murmur enough to lull one to repose; and the occasional whistle of a quail or tapping of a woodpecker is almost the only sound that ever breaks in upon the uniform tranquility".
The legend of sleepy hollow tells the story of Ichabod Crane. He comes to the town named Sleepy Hollow from Connecticut as a school teacher. He is lean, lanky and superstitious. Katrina Van Tassel, a beautiful young woman is his student. His heart beats for her, but he actually wants to win her heart the moment he see the rich farm of her father. He has a competitor though, the village hero Brom Bones. Brones had already scared many of Katrina's suitors. But, Ichabod avoids physical confrontation with Brom Bones, so he plays many pranks on Crane and humiliates him. One fine day, Ichabod is invited to a party at Van Tassels. He stays after the party, but then he leaves heart broken. It was dark and quiet. Ichabod tries to be brave. When he sees a dark figure without a head on a horse, the ghost stories about headless horseman comes to his mind. He quickens to cross the bridge. After crossing the bridge he turns to see the headless horseman vanish according to the rules. But the headless horseman hurls the head at him. The next day he has disappeared. Some believes that it is one of the pranks of Brom Bones. Others believe that Ichabod was taken by the headless horseman.
Rich imagery makes the book a pleasant read.
