The Value of the Art of Letter-Writing

THE VALUE OF THE ART OF LETTER WRITINGtc "THE VALUE OF THE ART OF LETTER WRITING"

V. Muralidhar

Gandhiji, the father of the nation, comments thus: “We should think over what we have read, digest it and make it an integral part of our daily life.”

The art of letter writing has not been given its due importance and proper encouragement in the hurly-burly of this world.  This is all due to tremendous development in the fields of science and technology.  It is up to us whether this great art of letter writing is to be encouraged or not, as we have become lethargic both the body and the mind in this electronic age. Letter writing, really gives the very hall-mark of pleasure for an individual, in case, he or she has the urge and ability to express freely, openly and frankly in all his or her epistolary form of communication to the different types of people in different situations in life.  The communicative competence can be acquired by dint of perseverance, observation, interaction, constant touch with the books and the maturity of the mind dawns upon us with proper understanding as time passes on.

Further, it is said to be that letters are nothing but the reflections and reminiscences of the mind, which ought to be given utmost consideration and importance for our self-improvement and also for succeeding generation.

The ostensible purpose of this art of letter writing is to inculcate the habit of writing among youth in order to comprehend various kinds of experiences of men of letters.  In point of fact, there are different types of letters to be addressed to the different types of people viz., personal letters, private letters, official letters, commercial letters, love letters and letters of condolences. Really, it is preponderantly optimistic to have the pleasure and privilege to scan through the letters for our enlightenment, edification and elucidation, for they are helpful in character building and better comprehension of the way of the world. As a matter of fact, it requires lot of crushing the rock to produce a glittering diamond.  The 16^th President of U.S.A., Abraham Lincoln says that:

“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”

The letters of great men do remind us that we also can produce marvellous letters on different aspects of life, in case, we have special mind, prudence and desire and also in order to project our own ideas, opinions and deep rooted thoughts for the benefit of the innumerable multitudes. Undoubtedly, there would be ecstatic feelings in our inner recesses of the heart, which can be said to be the seat of emotions and, consequently, we will have to chance to obtain an unimaginable happiness or complacent satisfaction.

We have letters from unique personalities for our reflection and comprehension viz., Lord Chesterfield’s (Advice) letters to his son, Dr. Samuel Johnson’s letter to Boswell; Cowper’s letters; Letters of Napoleon Bonaparte; Letters of George Washington; Letters by Sir Walter Scott; Swami Vivekananda’s letters, Letters to his daughter by Jawaharlal Nehru etc., Some letters are furnished here under : (extracts)

1. Lord Chesterfield’s letter to his son:

London, October 16, 1747
“Dear Boy,

The art of pleasing is a very necessary one to possess but a very difficult one to acquire.  It can hardly be reduced to rules; and your own good sense and observation will teach you more of it than I can. Of all things, banish the egotism out of your conversation and never think of entertaining people with your own personal concerns or private affairs; though they are interesting to you, they are tedious and impertinent to everybody else: besides that, one can-not keep one’s own private affairs too secret.   Remember that there is a local propriety to be observed in all companies; and what is extremely proper in one company, may be and often is, highly improper in another.

You will easily discover every man’s prevailing vanity by observing his favourite topic of conversation; for, every man talks most of what he has most a mind to be thought to excel in.  Touch him but there and you touch him to the quick.

Women have, in general, but one object, which is their beauty; upon which, scarce any flattery is too gross for them to follow. Nature has hardly formed a woman ugly enough to be insensible to flattery upon her person; if her face is so shocking that she must, in some degree, be conscious of it, her figure and air, she trusts, make ample amends for it.  An undoubted, uncontested, conscious beauty is, of all women, the least sensible of flattery upon that head: she knows it is her due and is, therefore, obliged to nobody for giving it to her. She must be a flattered upon her understanding, which though she may possibly not doubt of herself yet she suspects that men may distrust.

These are some of the arcana necessary for your initiation in the great society of the world.  I wish I had known them better at your age; I have paid the price of three-and-fifty years for them and shall not grudge it if you reap the advantage. Adieu!”
2. George Washington’s letter to his doctor:

Mount Vernon
17^th March, 1798
“Sir,
Your letter of the 28^th ulto came safe, but was sometime longer than might have been expected, on its way.

As I think your charge for the prescription and application to Christopher (my servant) who was supposed to be bitten by a mad dog, is a very reasonable one, I send you enclosed a five dollar bank note of Alexandria (having no other paper money by me) without enquiring whether your not having received four dollars before, proceeded from the neglect of the Servant, or any other person.

Christopher continues to do well, and I believe is now free from apprehension of any bad consequences from the bite.  I shall beg to be informed of your receipt of this letter, being unwilling that you should go unpaid”.

I am Sir,
Your very H’ble. Servant
G. Washington”

3. Sri Swami Vivekananda’s Letter:

Ridgerly,
1^st November, 1899
“Dear Margot,

…… It seems there is a gloom over your mind. Never mind, nothing is to be lost forever.  Anyhow life is not eternal.  I am so, so thankful for it.  Suffering is the lot of the world’s best and bravest – yet, for aeons yet – till things are righted, if possible, here – at least it is a discipline which breaks the dream.  In my sane moments, I rejoice for my sufferings.  Some one must suffer here – I am glad it is I, amongst other’s of nature’s sacrifices.”

Yours etc.,
Vivekananda

It is evident that the above epistles may give us that they were written by different out standing personalities in different periods under different situations.  The letters reveal that each individual’s way of thinking, way of expression, and the way of presentation of the subject matter really allow us to ponder over and, undoubtedly, paves the way of our inspiration and also impinge upon our desire to attempt to scribble a few lines to our near and dear.  I shall be happy, if any one succeeds in attempting this art of letter writing like the above, I am sure and confident that there will be a chance to go into raptures to get great experience in the life.  

A few decades , most of the integrated personalities used to expound in different ways of their invaluable piece of advice in the form of letters to their juniors coming from various walks of life.  Now, the art of letter writing is gradually disappearing or vanishing with the advent of electronic media and the present generation may not be in a position or disinclined for various reasons to develop this great art of letter writing, nor do they have any desire to enrich their knowledge in other branches of science, for they are completely concentrating all their talents only on one aspect viz., earning…. earning…. but earning. As a result, the moral values are slowly getting bogged down, as the youth wishes to abdicate their responsibilities both morally and ethically.  This should be nipped in the bud with a view to establishing the harmonious and tuneful life and let us be a paragon to the succeeding generation.

In short, letters will have an everlasting impression in our minds in the absence of the person who pens and letter(s) and indeed, great pleasure can be experienced or derived.