national poetry month: washington irving

Washington Irving didn't write much poetry, but I discovered this lighthearted and seasonally appropriate offering from The Poems of Washington Irving, brought together from various sources by William R. Langfeld.

"The Lay of the Sunnyside Ducks" by Washington Irving

By Sunnyside bower runs a little Indian Brook,
As wild as wild can be;
It flow down from hills where Indians lived of old
To the might Tappan Sea.

And this little brook supplies a goodly little pond
Where the Sunnyside ducks do play,
Snowy white little ducks with topknots of their heads
And merry little ducks are they.

And high up the hill stands fair Jaffray Hall
Where a might chief doth dwell
And this little Indian brook flows through his lands
And its own little rugged dell.

And the Laird of Jaffray arose in his might
And he said to his wife one day,
“This little Indian brook, is an idle little brook
And shall no longer have its way.

No longer shall it run down to Sunnyside pond
Nor eke to the Tappan Sea.
I’ll stop it, with a dam, and pump it up hill with a ram
And make it work for a living,” said he.

“It shall run in pipes about of garden and lawn
Making jets and fountains clear.
It shall run upstairs and downstairs of Jaffray Hall,
And into your bathroom, my dear.”

Then the Sunnyside ducks they quaked with fear
And dolefully they did cry,
“Oh Laird of Jaffray pare our little brook,
Or we shall be left high and dry!”

But soon it appeared that his brave little brook
Defied the Laird of Jaffray’s skill;
For though he dammed the little brook, and rammed the little brook
The little brook still ran down hill.

Then the Sunnyside ducks again plucked up heart,
And got over their quanda –ry,
And the little brook still runs on to the Sunnyside pond
And the mighty Tappan Sea!

Per Langfeld, it was first published in From Pinafores to Politics by Mrs. J. Borden Harriman (aka Daisy Hurst Harriman). I haven't read From Pinafores to Politics, which I understand is an autobiography of the social reformer. It seems odd that this particular poem would be included in such a work, but I'll err on the side of trusting the reference since Langfeld is an Irving scholar (and bibliographer) and From Pinafores to Politics was published by New York Public Library, which has one of the most substantive Irving collections in the world.

quotable Washington Irving (on his birthday)

In honor of Washington Irving's 230th birthday, a quote that I think will appeal to readers and writers alike -

If, however, I can by any lucky chance, in these days of evil, rub out one wrinkle from the brow of care, or beguile the heavy heart of one moment of sorrow; if I can now and then penetrate through the gathering film of misanthropy, prompt a benevolent view of human nature, and make my reader more in good humor with his fellow beings and himself, surely, surely, I shall not then have written entirely in vain.
                  - "Christmas Dinner," The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon¹

Irving wrote prolifically and eccentrically², and though he was one of the most famous writers of his day, he has suffered the fate of many dead-white-male authors and is now relatively unknown.³ Personally, I'm hoping that Fox's Sleepy Hollow pilot (in production right now) results in a series and that the series results in a renewed interest in Irving and his work beyond "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

1. Affiliate link. Also, I didn't double-check the source and am relying exclusively on the editor of The Wit and Whimsy of Washington Irving (link devoid of commission-earning potential), page 51, for source information.
2. I bet you didn't know he wrote a biography of Mohammed.
3. Except in Spain.

literary yarn bomb

I spent a couple of hours yesterday trekking around Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, helping with the installation of a yarn bomb.  The yarn bombing was organized by the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Historic Fund, which runs the cemetery's tour program, as part of their second-Sundays program.¹ Today's programs includes a "fashion show" tour of the yarn bombing and, later in the afternoon, a wildlife/nature tour.

I also made Russell come along.  Here he is at Washington Irving's grave.  Tombstone cozy (in colors of the American flag since WI was America's first professional writer) not knit by me.

I mostly contributed mittens to the project.  I knit mittens for a Jesus statue, whose fingers are long lost (project on Ravelry).

and a set of three pairs for a group of children who died falling through some ice in winter.  Each section of their tombstone features a different flower (lily, rose, violet), which dictated the color choice for the mittens (projects on Ravelry: lily, rose, violet).

I also donated an unloved scarf to the cause (project on Ravelry).

Just to bring this back to the literary -
In addition to being buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.  Irving played an important role in the establishment of the now-famous cemetery.  He named it, or more accurately he petitioned for its name to be changed from "Tarrytown Cemetery" to "Sleepy Hollow Cemetery."

1. Obviously today is the 3rd Sunday of February, but we had a visit from Nemo last weekend which called for a rescheduling.

this little valley: an update

"If I should wish for a retreat whither I might steal away from the world and its distractions, and dream quietly away the remnant of a troubled life, I know of none more promising than this little valley" (Washington Irving, Legend of Sleepy Hollow)

Some you know already know this and others may have speculated based on this post, but the big news is that I have a new job. I'm moving back to the area in which I grew up, the same area referenced in the Irving quote above. That (and the stress of leaving one job and starting another and weeding and packing our possessions) is why I have been neglecting the blog. I won't be fully settled until next month, but I am going to make an effort to begin blogging more regularly.

As I told my friend Nancy, the fact that I haven't been posting is really no one's loss as I've been reading a lot less than usual lately and what I have been reading is for the most part nothing to write home about.