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... ings best work appeared in Tales of a Traveler. In this there is an apparent influence of Addison and of Goldsmith, but the originality of Geoffrey Crayon is still evident. Works found in Tales of a Traveler include Dolph Heyliger, Kidd the Pirate, The Devil and Tom Walker, and Wolfert Webber.
However, following these first few works, Knickerbocker History, Sketch-Book, Bracebridge Hall, and Tales of a Traveler (1809 - 1824), he focused his writing on the history of Spain. (web) In 1826, working as the U. S. Embassy in Madrid (1826 - 1829), Irving traveled to Madrid to complete a translation of some historical documents, then appearing as extracts from the journals of Columbus. Impressed with the richness of this material bearing on the discovery of the New World, he became determined to write the life-story of this great navigator.
He then produced Life and Voyages of Columbus (1828), Voyages and Discoveries of the Companions of Columbus (1831), Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada (1829) and his Spanish series, the Alhambra (1832). The Alhambra was another sketch-book, containing many short stories. For a period Irving dwelt within the walls of the Alhambra, letting his imagination run wild to create this work. In 1829, Irving was unexpectedly appointed as Secretary of Legation to the Court of St. James under US President Martin Van Buren in England. Once he assumed this position, he remained with it until fall of 1831, and it was during this time that he completed the series of Spanish volumes.
In 1830, Irving was ordered one of the two medals annually placed by George IV at the disposal of the Royal Society of Literature to be given to authors of eminent merit. In May 1932, Irving returned to America, to find himself honored and loved by his countrymen at home. (web) At his homecoming, Irving was honored by a hearty welcome in the form of a public banquet hosted by the city of New York to, as named in a toast, the Dutch Herodotus, Diedrich Knickerbocker. Impressed by the development of his country during the years of his absence, Irving made an extended tour of the South and the West. Following this, he then wrote The Canyon Miscellany (1835) and Tour on the Prairies (1835), in which he describes life of the ranger and the trapper as he saw it on this excursion. From 1836 - 1842, Irving lived at Sunnyside manor house, Tarrytown-on-Hudson. (web) It was the old estate of the Van Tassels, a comfortable stone cottage with a whimsical weather-cock and ivy covered walls. While living in this house, his popularity grew quite a bit and he was urged to accept nominations for the office of Mayor of New York, and for a seat in Congress and was even obliged to decline the position of the Secretary of the Navy in President Van Buren's cabinet.
However, his writings during this period were relatively insignificant: Abbottsford and Newstead Abbey (1835), Legends of the Conquest of Spain (1836), Astoria (1836), Adventures of Captain Bonneville (1837). These were contributions to the Knickerbocker Magazine. Irving, whose life-long project was to write the history of the conquest of Mexico, abandoned the project at this time, when he learned that Prescott was contemplating such a project. In 1842, Daniel Webster, then Secretary of State under President Tyler, appointed Washington Irving to the post of Minister to Spain. Irving accepted this honor, although regretting the departure before him, and was overheard murmuring to himself: It is harder hard; yet I must try to bear it. God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. (web) After four years residence at Madrid, Irving returned to spend the last years of his life in Tarrytown, NY, eager again for the quiet retirement of Sunnyside.
His home environment was a much more pleasing way to pass the thirteen years remaining to this accomplished author. Before his death on November 28, 1859, he wrote Life of Goldsmith (1849), Mahomet and his Successors (1850), and his noteworthy Life of Washington, which took him from 1855 - 1859 and consisted of 5 volumes. Irving's Life of Washington represents the most serious labor of his entire career. However depreciated by many critics as without historical value, others have praised it for its power and charm as a literary work. The major works of Washington Irving were published in 1860 - 1861 in 21 volumes. The charm, delicacy, and pictorial quality of Irving's writing allowed it to make innumerable contributions to literature, and he will be forever remembered.
Works Cited Page 1. Irving, Washington. Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia. 1996: SoftKey Multimedia Inc. 2. Irving, Washington. Encyclopedia.
com. America Online. 11 November 1999 3. Irving, Washington. Encarta Online Concise.
America Online 11 November 1999. 4. Irving, Washington. Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia. 1993. 5. Irving's Major Works. Major Works. web (11 November 1999) 6.
Washington Irving. A Students History of American Literature: Part- 2: Chapter- 3. web (11 November 1999) 7. Washington Irving (1783 - 1859).
Brief Biography. web (11 November 1999) 8. Washington Irving. Washington Irving.
web (11 November 1999) 9. Washington Irving (1783 - 1859). Washington Irving. web (11 November 1999) 10. Washington Irving. Washington Irving.
web (11 November 1999) 11. Washington Irving. Who 2: Washington Irving Profile. web (11 November 1999) 12. What makes Irving a major author? .
Irving's Importance. web (11 November 1999)
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