LETTER WRITING, A LOST ART

 

The day was filled with drudgery; arriving at the office earlier than usual, choking down stale tasting peanut-butter crackers with a semi-flat soda for lunch, and during the early evening, negotiating snarled traffic throughout the lengthy commute home.  It was a span of ten hours, filled with aggravation and devoid of any gratification. 

Arriving home it was time to collect the mail, discard any unwanted solicitations, and scrutinize the statements; imagine the astonishment of discovering an unexpected, handwritten communique.  Whether the posture is elation or trepidation, the ensuing thoughts are intense; you cannot wait to discover the mystery hidden inside the carefully folded edict.     

Without delay you seek seclusion, to analyze the contents, and study the message.   To your amazement, included in the words are not only a stunning revelation, but also a conveyance of sentiments; suddenly the unexpected occurrence is saturated with waves of delight.      

The art of letter writing is nearly as obsolete as the belief that women are intended to stay at home and devote their time and talent to cooking meals, cleaning the house, and raising children.  Being transported into another realm of being, by the use of figurative language, is an unforgettable experience.  The genteel minded individuals of today concur that the demise of descriptive letter writing is indeed a great loss to our society. 

Victorian citizenry received formal notifications concerning the arrival of an infant, or the passing of a cherished acquaintance, but no matter the context, the conveyed feelings were compelling.  Whether the script described an impending marriage, or the unexpected demise of an assignation, the recipient was enchanted with chosen words that sensitively depicted the occurrence.        

Exquisite correspondences of yesteryear embodied an appreciation for the finer things of life; sophisticated society-folks were expected to compose and promptly post the prudently worded epistles.  There was etiquette to compositions that for years was not altered; properly address the person, use eloquent language, and end the document in an acceptable style. Sentiment was expressed profusely, but passion, if alluded to at all, was described discreetly. 

 

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