Washington Irving was one of the best authors of the early nineteenth century. Irving influenced many authors, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe (1). Along with influencing other writers of his time, Irving changed the face of writing in the way that he became internationally known for his works along with advocating for writing as a legitimate profession (1). Irving and his writings have had a great impact on America and its culture in many ways; from the way people celebrate Christmas, to the way people perceive things intellectually and artistically, Irving was and still is a dynamic influence in the literary world. Washington Irving wrote with the style of romanticism using self-knowledge and self-expression in his works of literature. Emerging from these romantic themes was an assertion of the importance of the person as an individual including the perceiving mind and emotional instincts. Romanticism has persisted in today’s American society and continues to shape culture arguably. Taking into consideration Washington Irving’s influence on literature and culture, the artist that I would place into his iPod playlist would be Elvis Presley. I chose Elvis because I find that he compares to Irving in the way he immensely influenced the culture during his time of career. Both Irving and Presley came on the scene with mixed reviews yet still heavily influenced the people of their generation. “When an author emerges and takes the impact that Irving did on the relatively new canvas that America was at the time, he will forever be revisited and be the object of new criticism. The fact that Irving still receives significant attention shows his importance in the American writing tradition” (Rueben). During a period when American literature was strictly under the influence of English writers, Irving went against the grain when he published his first novel with works that were unique and independent; paving the way for American writers to use their own methods of writings and advocating for intellectual independence. Much like Irving, Elvis went against the grain in the music world when he sang about independence from parents, religion, and values of the time. With his hip-thrusts and black-leather clad, Elvis was a one-of-a-kind artist who influenced the works of many during his time and still influenced the music world today and will for years to follow. Both Washington Irving and Elvis Presley laid a foundation for other writers and musicians to build their careers upon. In one of her discussion postings, a classmate Caitlin Burns writes: “The Romantics asserted the importance of the individual, the unique, even the eccentric” (Burns, “Romanticism.” Web. 19 Oct. 2011). I can see the characteristics of uniqueness and that of being eccentric in nature in both Washington Irving and Elvis Presley’s work. The particular song by Elvis that I chose for Irving’s ipod playlist is “Hound Dog”. I chose this song because it is one of Elvis’s most iconic rock songs for the way it jump-started his popularity. The song “Hound Dog” is rebellious and it encaptures the independent nature of rock and roll.

For my next iPod playlist selection, I decided to focus on one of Washington Irving’s characters from his story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Irving tells a story of a young school teacher, Ichabod Crane, and his quest at winning the affection of Katrina Van Tassel in the ghost story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Ichabod’s character is a scrawny, poor, school teacher who has no permanent residence and is well-liked by the women of the town. Katrina is a beautiful young lady who just happens to be a student of Ichabods. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a story that definitely appeals to the imagination, especially in the character of Ichabod Crane. The artist that I chose for Ichabod to have in his iPod playlist is Bob Marley. I chose Bob Marley, because just like Ichabod, Marley was a person who had a lot of free thought and free expression. One song in particular that I chose for Ichabod Crane is “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley, “Three Little Birds”, has inspiration from nature and the surrounding world; much like the romantic influence Ichabod’s character is based upon. I also found it interesting that the little birds referenced in the song were actually a reference to the three female singers in the reggae group “The Wailers”. Apparently Marley was well-liked by the females, and especially the women in his singing group (2). Ichabod Crane was also a man with strong female likings: “Our man of letters, therefore, was peculiarly happy in the smiles of all the country damsels. How he would figure among them in the churchyard, between services on Sundays!” (Irving ll 15). The song “Three Little Birds” is filled with the simplicity of living a carefree life, much like the life lived by Ichabod Crane who floated carelessly from one home to another, not establishing permanent residency. “Woke up this morning, smiled at the rising sun. Three little birds sat by my doorstep singing sweet songs, a melody pure and true, this is my message to you.” (3). You can see in this phrase of the song, the birds wake up in the morning and take each day as it comes, much like Ichabod Crane in the story. And whenever I hear this song, I usually associate it to nonconformity and free expression, a message Bob Marley was famous for portraying. Ichabod Crane was a person of nonconformity who also had a lot of free thought and free expression. Ichabod followed morals that were strict in the classroom including “spare the rod and spoil the child” (cite the story here); and outside of the classroom he didn’t seem to practice the same kind of strict morals and he lived to fulfill his own personal gratification. “Truth to say, he was a conscientious man, and ever bore in mind the golden maxim, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” ---Ichabod Crane’s scholars certainly were not spoiled.” (Irving ll 10). “When school hours were over, he was even the companion and playmate of the larger boys; and on holiday afternoons would convoy some of the smaller ones home, who happened to have pretty sisters, or good housewives for mothers, noted for the comforts of the cupboard. Indeed it behooved him to keep on good terms with his pupils (Irving ll 12). One could argue that Bob Marley sang a lot about loving mankind and had content of strict morals in his songs, but outside of the media he fell under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Another song that makes me think of Ichabod Crane is “Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley. The song speaks about the need for people to love themselves freely and think independently.

Both of the artists Elvis Presley and Bob Marley have a music style that I think is comparable to Irving and his story character Crane. They are all influenced by Romanticism and I’m happy with the playlist choices I’ve made for each of them.

 1. "Washington Irving." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.

      <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Irving>.

2. "Life & Legacy." The Bob Marley Forum. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.

     <http://bobmarley.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1>. 

http://www.playlist.com/playlist/22742192139/standalone