Washington Irving (1783–1859) was a popular American writer and diplomat. The “first American man of letters,” he is chiefly remembered as a historian and as the writer of romantic sketches and tales. He was influential in the development of the short story form and helped gain international respect for the fledgling American literature.
Born into a prosperous family in New York City, Irving studied law, visited Rome, Paris, the Netherlands, and London, and on his return in 1806 was admitted to the Bar.
Irving’s Salmagundi (1808,) a series of satirical essays on the state of the theatre, was followed by the burlesque A History of New York (1809,) supposedly written by a Dutch New Yorker named Diedrich Knickerbocker. Despite the pseudonym, it made him well known in New York.
Irving served as an officer in the 1812 War between the U.S. and U.K. and lived in Europe 1815–32. Under the pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon, he wrote The Sketch Book (1819–20,) a collection that contains his famous tales, “The Spectre Bridegroom,” “Rip Van Winkle,” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
Irving produced another collection, Tales of a Traveller (1824.) His stay in Spain 1826–29 produced the studies The History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus (1828) and The Conquest of Granada (1829.) Upon his return to New York in 1832, Irving published A Tour on the Prairie (1835) and The Adventures of Captain Bonneville, USA (1837.)
Irving was the U.S. ambassador to Spain 1842–46. He completed his Life of George Washington (1855–59) shortly before his death.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Washington Irving
The love of a delicate female is always shy and silent. Even when fortunate, she scarcely breathes it to herself; but when otherwise, she buries it in the recesses of her bosom, and there lets it cower and brood among the ruins of her peace.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Love
Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune, but great minds rise above it.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Adversity, Courage, Misfortune, Challenges
There is in every woman’s heart a spark of heavenly fire which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.
—Washington Irving
A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends, who rejoiced with us in our sunshine desert us; when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Friendship, Mothers
There is a certain artificial polish and address acquired by mingling in the beau monde, which, in the commerce of the world, supplies the place of natural suavity and good humor; but it is too often purchased at the expense of all original and sterling traits of character.
—Washington Irving
Rising genius always shoots out its rays from among the clouds, but these will gradually roll away and disappear as it ascends to its steady luster.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Genius
No man knows what the wife of his bosom is—what a ministering angel she is, until he has gone with her through the fiery trials of this world.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Wife
A woman is more considerate in affairs of love than a man; because love is more the study and business of her life.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Love
There is a serene and settled majesty to woodland scenery that enters into the soul and delights and elevates it, and fills it with noble inclinations.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Soul
A woman’s whole life is a history of the affections. The heart is her world: it is there her ambition strives for empire; it is there her avarice seeks for hidden treasures. She sends forth her sympathies on adventure; she embarks her whole soul on the traffic of affection; and if shipwrecked, her case is hopeless—for it is a bankruptcy of the heart.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Love, Affection, Women
Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Christmas
There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Tears, Crying
After all, it is the divinity within that makes the divinity without; and I have been more fascinated by a woman of talent and intelligence, though deficient in personal charms, than I have been by the most regular beauty.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Beauty
I profess not to know how women’s hearts are wooed and won.—To me they have always been matters of riddle and admiration.
—Washington Irving
They who drink beer will think beer.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Alcohol, Alcoholism
It was, as I have said, a fine autumnal day; the sky was clear and serene, and nature wore that rich and golden livery which we always associate with the idea of abundance. The forests had put on their sober brown and yellow, while some trees of the tenderer kind had been nipped by the frosts into brilliant dyes of orange, purple, and scarlet.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Autumn
In civilized life, where the happiness and indeed almost the existence of man, depends on the opinion of his fellow men. He is constantly acting a studied part.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Actors, Acting
The grave buries every error, covers every defect, extinguishes every resentment.—From its peaceful bosom spring none but fond regrets and tender recollections.—Who can look down upon the grave of an enemy, and not feel a compunctious throb that he should have warred with the poor handful of dust that lies moldering before him.
—Washington Irving
A tart temper never mellows with age; and a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener and sharper with constant use.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Anger, Temper, Criticism, Speech
Some minds seem almost to create themselves, springing up under every disadvantage and working their solitary but irresistible way through a thousand obstacles.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Difficulties, Adversity, The Mind, Mind
A curtain lecture is worth all the sermons in the world for teaching the virtue of patience and long suffering.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Patience
A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Mothers Day, Mothers
Nothing can be more touching than to behold a soft and tender female, who has been all weakness and dependence, and alive to every trivial roughness while treading the prosperous paths of life, suddenly rising in mental force to be the comforter and supporter of her husband under misfortune, and abiding with unshrinking firmness the bitterest blast of adversity.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Wife
Great minds have purposes; others have wishes.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Dedication, Aspirations, Goals, Commitment, One liners, Purpose, Wishes, Mind
Enthusiasts soon understand each other.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Enthusiasm
With every exertion the best of men can do but a moderate amount of good but it seems in the power of the most contemptible individual to do incalculable mischief.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Evils
Whenever a man’s friends begin to compliment him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Age, Aging
Redundancy of language is never found with deep reflection. Verbiage may indicate observation, but not thinking. He who thinks much, says but little in proportion to his thoughts. He selects that language which will convey his ideas in the most explicit and direct manner. He tries to compress as much thought as possible into a few words. On the contrary, the man who talks everlastingly and promiscuously, who seems to have an exhaustless magazine of sound, crowds so many words into his thoughts that he always obscures, and very frequently conceals them.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Style, Talking
Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Love
The natural effect of sorrow over the dead is to refine and elevate the mind.
—Washington Irving
Topics: Sadness, Sorrow
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