The Legends of Sleep Hollow Response

This story captures the Imagination of readers today by displaying that "Romanticism" that we have been learning about. This has to deal with the Parts of love that Ichabod has for Katrina and the growing competition. For example it tells how Ichabod, "... busy fancy already presented to him the blooming Katrina, with a whole family of children.."(Irving 7). Another way that it displays the Romanticism is the supernatural things that happen like the headless horseman, and the stories that the old country-wives would tell Ichabod. There are also many parts that talk of Ichabod's love of nature and food (which is part of nature). Irving writes in one part, " Farther on he beheld great fields of Indian corn, and the yellow pumpkins lying beneath them, turning up their fair round bellies to the sun. He passed the fragrant buckwheat fields, and as he beheld them, soft anticipations stole over his mind of dainty slapjacks, well buttered and garnished with honey by the delicate little dimpled hand of Katrina Van Tassel"(9).This all requires the readers imagination to visualize these things, and to have that imagery in their mind. One other way that this story catches the readers attention and their imagination is the way it ends. For examples there are many "thoughts" of different characters in the end of what happened to Ichabod, but the reader can choose whatever they think what truly happened.

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Swing low, Sweet Chariot is a song sung by slaves. It is based on a story in the Book of Kings of the Bible. It is about a man named Elijah, who based on his good deeds, and doing what is right was picked up on a chariot of fire. This is supported by the quote, "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Kings 2:11 KJV). "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" talks of this chariot of fire in it's title. This is how it relates to that spiritual hope and faith. Slaves sung this song, that talks of their hope of being free one day, escaping slavery, in a spiritual sense. The song shows their faith in Christ, looking forward to a better day when they would be "Home" spiritually stated in the quote, "Comin for to carry me home" (Willis 1). Again the song is based on going home spiritually, but there is a way for the slaves to escape slavery physically. This is through death. They are basically singing of dying, which will end that slavery, and hopefully send them to a better place, and we can infer that they are dying because (as we have already concluded) that they are going to heaven, and we know that you have to die before you go to heaven (except for unusual circumstances such as end of the world, Elijah, Enoch, and Moses). There is one other way that this song could be seen in a physical sense of escaping slavery. This could be tied to the Underground railroad. The "Sweet Chariot" (Willis 1), talked of in the song could be referred to and symbolizing the Underground railroad, which as we all know was one way for slaves to escape slavery. This solution ties to and supports the time period it was written in (times of slavery in the south). Since it was most likely sung for the use of the Underground railroad, we must conclude that its time period was more for times of slavery. Yet, many people sing it today such as Beyoncé, Elvis, and Paul Robison. So why is this? This is because it relates to people today as well. Even though we do not have slavery, will still have many times of strife, and the song symbolizes hope for us, just as it did for others in times past. The song especially relates to Christians today. Even though it is about the Old Testament, it symbolizes our heavenly home someday. Such a short and simple song can mean so much. Sometimes people don't listen enough to what it is saying to recognize the true meaning of it all, and why it is so important to history.