Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" tells the story of an old man Rip Van Winkle and his 'sleep' in the mountains during which he seemed to miss out two decades of history. When he came back to his village, he found that not only have things changed, he also realized that America had gained her independence from the Britishers.
The romantic element found in the story is that of the beauty of nature that the author included majorly in the scenes. Romantic literature lays emphasis on, among others, the beauty of nature and the importance of the individual. The description of the mountains, the detailed description of the village in the story, and most significantly the Catskill Mountains gave it the essence of romantic era work.
