The Art of Letter Writing

Phyllis Theroux once described the art of writing and sending letters as, “… a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.” However handwritten letters, which have long been on the endangered species lists, can now be considered effectively extinct. The current generation has become so swept up in the influx of technology that we have all but lost the art of letter writing. It can be argued that if society does not take the steps to revive this art, it will be nullifying a very important skill that benefits present and future generations.

Letter writing is among our most ancient of arts. It is estimated that this particular craft of writing letters on paper was born in 200 BC when the Chinese perfected the pulp papermaking process and began to produce papyrus. When one thinks of letters, our minds are instantly drawn to the likenesses of Saint Paul, Abraham Lincoln, Jane Austen, and Mark Twain; on love letters written during the many wars, or letters written home straight from the battlefront.

With that being said, many notable men and women were prolific letter writers. Ronald Reagan and Napoleon Bonaparte both wrote their wives as they struggled through their respective battles. Ludwig van Beethoven was a great composer. When he died, a love letter was found hidden among his possessions. It was written to an unknown woman Beethoven called his “Immortal Beloved." Nobody has ever discovered the true identity of Beethoven's "Immortal Beloved." Harriet Beecher Stowe became famous with her first novel, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” What you may not know about Ms. Stowe is that she had a husband and was the mother of six children. A letter she wrote to her husband has survived throughout the years. In her letter,...

... middle of paper ...

...so antiquated? There could be nothing more romantic. The point is, one cannot send scent–or anything else of a truly personal matter- electronically. Only a letter with its typos, doodles in the margins, smudges, and creases can be this personal and transportable without need of an energy source other than the words of another person.

Society must be challenged to raise letter writing from the dead. It must complete this task not only for itself, but for all of those who will come after it. Children must be introduced this highly personal and intricate art before the only handwritten letters to be seen are those positioned inside glass display boxes, withering away in museums. The word must be spread and society must encourage the present and future generations to start treasuring letter writing now, for if we do not, this precious treasure will be lost forever.