The lost art of letter writing

Recently, while cleaning up some old stuff in my parents’ room, we discovered some old letters kept meticulously in their respective envelopes and then stashed together in a large envelope. Thinking that they might be some important correspondence, they were carefully handled only to discover that they were odd letters family members had written to each other—brother to brother, sister to sister, son to father and mother—and had been preserved carefully through decades as mementos, though the subject of any of them was not significant, just family chit chat and updates on each other.

Going through these brought back some memories of the times when life was much simpler and carefree. Those were the times when letter writing was not something out of the ordinary, it was rather the best way to communicate and remain connected. The telephone was there but calling someone just for chatting or taking updates was not the norm, rather it was used only when extremely necessary.

“It seemed so personal, as if the writer was talking to you,” recalls Saba Tariq, a teacher, in her late 60s. “When a letter from a loved one from abroad was received it was read and re-read by all the family members and sometimes even discussed. Notes to a spouse, not meant for common ears, were on a separate paper often in the same envelope and would be passed on to the respective person with meaningful, sideways glances. The reply would often have messages from all family members.”

“Friends, after they left the university and got married in other towns and countries would remain in touch with each other through letters, which would often be spread over several pages so as not to miss telling anything—from sharing secrets to gossip about in-laws, to their new home and surroundings,” shares Farhat Khan, a banker, in her 50s.

Communication was not limited to letters. The pleasure of buying, sending, and receiving a card—birthday greetings, anniversary, Eid Mubarak —was beyond explanation. “Hours were spent in bookshops/gift shops which usually had a selection of beautiful cards for all occasions. A suitable card would be selected and, even when it had a printed message, personal notes were thoughtfully written, often trying to create poetry, and the card was sent off,” says Madiha, a 55-year-old small entrepreneur.

It was such a common practice to send postcards from wherever one was visiting; the card would have a picture of some landmark or tourist scenic place and often a brief about the picture which on the receiving end would be read with interest as it marked where the loved one was at that time. These cards would be saved as mementoes of the visit.

With the advent of faster and immediate digital means of communication such as telephone, email, texts messages, WhatsApp, and social media, letter writing and sending cards has taken a back seat, rather it is becoming a vanishing skill, largely because of the demand for convenience and speed. Yet handwritten letters are still valued for their intimacy, reflection, and lasting personal touch in a fast-paced world and are often valued for their ability to express deeper emotional connections as compared to the transient digital messages.

In today’s fast-paced world, people don’t seem to have time to write long letters; they find it convenient to send an email or message to feel connected. Emails are today’s instantaneous letters. You receive an email, you reply, and in a few days it is either lost in the pile of mails or deleted. Only a few most important ones are saved. There is no scented, coloured paper on which thoughts are poured and love expressed. After sending a letter, days were spent thinking when it would reach its destination and then the anticipation of receiving a reply, every doorbell raising the hope of the postman bringing in a reply.

“It's been years since I have received a letter, postcard, greeting card,” says Shahina, a mother of three grown up kids. “Every birthday or Eid somehow I still expect to receive a greetings card but there is none, though my WhatsApp and Facebook are full of messages and cards on every occasion. While most are simple messages, some friends do make the effort of customising cards but somehow I still miss the handwritten cards that used to land in my mail box.” Some were even displayed on a table or mantle for others to admire.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, not just kids but elders too used to have many pen pals with whom they would be connected through letters; though some would never meet, they were friends and would write to each other often. “As a child, I used to have many pen pals who had many common hobbies and we frequently used to write to each other, discussing our favourite books, or TV shows or the match one went to the stadium to watch,” says Fasih Ahmed, who is now in his 40s. “That trend of having pen pals has disappeared. Now we have virtual friends with whom short messages are exchanged or posts are liked and shared.”

Letters have been written since ancient times. Some of the earliest letters have been traced back to ancient civilisations. Some scholars believe that letter writing may have originated in Persia and that letters were primarily used for short messages or notes.

Greek historian Hellanicus of Lesbos credits Queen Atossa of Persia for writing the first letter in 500 BC. Atossa, the eldest daughter of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, and the wife of Darius I, held immense influence over state affairs, and was often described as “the power behind the throne”. While Atossa’s letter hasn’t survived, and the contents or the purpose of the letter were never found, historically, it marks the beginning of handwritten letters, and the legacy of writing to communicate still remains.

Later, people in ancient India, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and other places also began to use letters as a means of communication for trade, politics, and personal matters. The main purpose of writing letters was to share information, important news, or simple communication with other leaders.

As societies grew letter writing became an art. While in the Middle Ages, letters were mostly official, during the Renaissance, letters began to reflect a more personal relationship. Correspondence became an intimate form of expression. With further developments in the postal system it became easier for ordinary citizens to communicate over greater distances than they previously could.

The 18th and 19th centuries are considered the golden age of letter writing when letters became the most cherished medium of personal expression. Many of the well-known figures, such as Jane Austen, Lord Byron, and Virginia Woolf, used letters to express their innermost feelings, and are known through their letters which give deeper insight into their personalities and intellectual worlds. Letters were not just a bit of language that could be dispatched; they spoke of possession by a depth of emotion, whether it was love, friendship, or the blossoming of intellectual understanding.

Writers like Oscar Wilde, John Keats, or Marcel Proust transformed letter writing into an art, making private correspondence into profound artistic expressions. The letters of these great writers are sought after even today, as they serve as a personal archive of the writer’s inner life, offering glimpses into their creative processes, vulnerabilities, and intimate thoughts

During World War II, letters became a vital part of communication around the world, as they helped soldiers to maintain their relationships with their families thousands of miles away. In fact, so many letters were being sent that military ships were loaded with bags of letters, taking over space needed for the transportation of weapons during war; there were also fears that military secrets written in letters would end up in enemy hands, putting the army at risk. To address this issue, a technique called “V-mail” (a special postal system which enforced restrictions on the length and content of the letter) was put into use.

Some people consider letter writing a waste of time; why spend so much time writing a letter and then posting it to send a message across the world when it can be done in a matter of seconds through the phone or email. On the other hand, there are people who think that handwritten letters are a more personal form of communication, and show that a loved one has made the effort to pour personal thoughts and emotions.

Sarah is one such person who misses the handwritten letter. “I often wonder what happened to the art of letter writing and sending cards. Is it just that we are too busy to write letters, or is it that we have just adopted the modern convenient ways to stay in touch.” To her, they are not just letters but something that later brings back memories, especially of people no longer present. “I have preserved the letters of my parents whom I lost some years back, and draw solace from them whenever I feel disturbed,” she says.

Though the art of letter writing has drastically lessened over time due to the rise of technology, some miss the beauty of letter writing and would prefer that it makes a comeback. Some, like Farah, a mother of two and in her 40s, make her children write thank-you notes to their friends and relatives who give them presents on their birthdays. “Just mumbling ‘Thank you’ while receiving the gift seems superfluous to me. The child should acknowledge it and thank the person properly. And what can be a better way than to send a thank you note?” She hopes that from these thank-you notes her children will develop the habit of writing letters.

Farah and Sarah appreciate the practice of writing letters and are trying on their part to bring back this ancient but beautiful method of communication which has a charm of its own.

The writer is a freelance journalist and tweets @naqviriz; she can be reached at naqvi59rizwana@gmail.com

All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer