Rip Van Winkle Summary
Washington Irving

Everything you need to understand or teach Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving.

  • Rip Van Winkle Summary & Study Guide
  • 10 Student Essays
  • 1 Encyclopedia Article
  • 1 Literature Criticism
  • ...and more
  • 30 Rip Van Winkle Lessons
  • 20 Activities
  • 180 Multiple Choice Questions
  • 60 Short Essay Questions
  • 20 Essay Questions
  • Pre-Made Tests and Quizzes
  • ...and more

Rip Van Winkle Overview

"Rip Van Winkle" is a short story published by Washington Irving as a part of a larger work, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. (Published as a series, from 1819 to 1820.) "Rip Van Winkle" is one of the earliest works of distinctively American literature. A frame narrative by "Geoffrey Crayon" introduces a tale found in the papers of the fictional historian Diedrich Knickerbocker: the story of Rip Van Winkle, a man who sleeps for twenty years and wakes to find that the world around him has significantly changed. One of these changes is that, during Van Winkle's long sleep, America has undergone a revolution and separated from Great Britain. This comic tale allows Irving to explore the meaning of progress and change, as well as to comment on the nature of freedom.

Study Pack

The Rip Van Winkle Study Pack contains:

Rip Van Winkle Study Guide

Lesson Plan

Rip Van Winkle Lesson Plans contain 88 pages of teaching material, including: