Answer:
The imagery with which Irving described the mountains and the forest contributes to the story:
D. By enhancing the mystical quality of the environment for the reader.
Explanation:
"Rip Van Winkle" is an allegoric short story by author Washington Irving. The main character is Van Winkle himself who, after going up the Catskills, falls and remains asleep for 20 years.
When Irving describes the mountains and the forests where Van Winkle ends up falling asleep, he does so with imagery. Imagery is a literary device used to make scenes and descriptions more vivid to the audience. In this case, Irving's word choice helps enhance the mystical quality of the environment. That makes it easier for the reader to accept when or even predict that something magical will take place in the story. Some of the words and phrases used by Irving are: "the still solitudes had echoed;" "the reflection of a purple cloud;" " glassy bosom;" " the mountains began to throw their long blue shadows over the valleys."
