He claims to have fallen in love at her charms, but it is obvious that he is greedy enough to be in love with her likely inheritance. He begins his quest to win Katrina’s hand, but realizes that he is not the only one aiming for her. The village hero Brom Van Brunt had already scared off many of Katrina’s suitors, but Ichabod avoid confrontation with him and continues his attempt. One night, Ichabod persuades Katrina to join him in the ball, but is left with a clear rejection that breaks his heart. During the journey back home, Ichabod encounters a Headless Horseman, the legendary ghost who was said to be a Hessian soldier in the Revolutionary War. This ghost launches at Ichabod, causing him to all of his horse. The next day, the horse reaches the farmland with no sign of Ichabod. With this story with an ambiguous ending, Washington Irving depicts the nineteenth century American ideal of achieving status and wealth through no real hard work. This ideal contrasts the American dream, that was meant to be attained by hard work and …show more content…
This poem is a written form of American patriotism, the declaration of America as a sovereign country in the world. The moment captured in this song is a Key’s witness testimony of the dramatic moment of American victory over the British invasion of Fort McHenry marked by the flag flying at “dawn’s early light”; it describes the true heart of America as “the land of the free and the brave.” Although this song intended to be the glory and pride of America, its tunes come from a deceptive origin: the “Anacreontic Song” that was dedicated to the Greek Writer Anacreon for his writings on women, sex and drugs. The patriotic melody also comes from a English drinking song which was the reason it was initially rejected as the national anthem for a hundred and forty years. The song is controversial, one that casts doubt and condemns the true American identity. Although the song comes from a questionable origin, it has impacted two hundred years of history in the United States, being used from patriotic holidays to baseball