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Hello everyone!
Before the onset of the digital age, not so long ago, letter writing was the only way to communicate long distance. Thus, learning how to properly write a letter was a part of any young woman or man’s education. Letters in those days were extremely important and were sent for the same reasons that we send emails, and texts today—to share news with friends and family, to share information, to conduct business and for queries, in short, for communication.
Phones did affect letter writing but long distance phone calls were expensive and stamps were cheap, so handwritten letters continued to be exchanged. But with the advent of emails and cellphones, letters became almost redundant. Though it must be admitted that even those times not everyone wrote letters.
Little cramped words scrawling all over the paper
Like draggled fly’s legs,
What can you tell of the flaring moon
Through the oak leaves?
The modern millennials might say that emails are the new letters—that letters are an old-fashioned and outdated form of communication—but there’s something about letters that is intimate, personal and perhaps creative too!
In the digital age, it is quite easy to forget the joy of writing letters. As we all know handwriting and handwritten letters go (ah!well) hand-in-hand; the decline of one usually leads to the atrophy of the other. One of the reasons why we write less often is quite obvious: we have email and texts, there’s less emphasis on handwriting in schools, and in the rushed lives that we are leading these days, we’re simply not used to the slowness of handwritten mail. But the truth is that old fashioned snail mail is fun and a wonderful way to stay in touch. At the same time, it can convey the anguish of loneliness that emails cannot.
441 by Emily Dickinson
This is my letter to the world
That never wrote to me
The simple news that nature told
With tender majesty
Her message is committed
To hands I cannot see
For love of her sweet countrymen
Judge tenderly – of me.
In the present age, it is so easy to keep up with people. Mobile phones have us connected like never before, we stay in touch with friends and acquaintances on Facebook and Instagram, email distant relatives, text grandparents, and follow politicians and celebrities on X. But in all these new age messaging, we lose something important, and that is the personal touch!
Sitting with a blank paper and pen, with none of the distractions of “suggested text”, “auto correct” or “spell check” can often lead to a disorderly, free flowing write ( compared to the linearity of text on screen), with words crossed out, rewriting, asterisks, PS and more PSs. Also letters can be perfumed, enclose pressed flowers and kisses too and that makes them so intimate and tangible!
Do share with me how long has it really been since you saw a hand-addressed envelope in your mailbox? How long has it been since correspondence with a friend DIDNOT rely on little notification dots or ticks , but instead, on the words and paper they chose, the familiarity of how they looped their ‘r’s , their slanted capitals and the stamp they peeled and placed just for you?
When was the last time you picked up a pen and composed a letter to a friend or a family member? Letter writing delivers something more to the recipient than just the words on the page. The act itself shows how much we care about a person and believe me, letter writing makes us happier. It’s the intimacy, the information we impart by way of our handwriting, our choice of pen and paper, that connects us with the recipient in a way that cold computer screens can’t!
The challenge
I think, we all have many, maybe hundreds, of unsent and unwritten letters inside us. So let’s write letters today. Write to your beloved, your best friend, your future self, your unborn child/grandchild, your parents, your ex, the vile politician, the celebrity you fancy, the editor of the local daily, long-lost pen-pal…to anyone (in the form of a poem, of course!). Your poem can also be about the process of letter writing. Let’s rekindle and revive the dying art of letter writing this Tuesday!
I am sharing a few links that you may enjoy.
https://discoverpoetry.com/poems/poems-about-writing/
And if you are interested, you can read about epistolary poems here.
If you are new to dVerse, please write a poem adhering to the prompt on your blog.
Leave a link of your post (not your blog) at Mr. Linky.
Link back to this post.
Do try to find time to read the poems of fellow poets. We all are here for the love of poetry.
paeansunplugged said:
Hello everyone! I hope you like the prompt. I am very excited to read all the letters that will be posted here.
There is a slight chill in the air here. To keep you warm and cosy we have hearty minestrone soup and vegetable clear soup as well as spirits of your choice. Those with a sweet tooth can have blueberry cake or hot gulab jamun.
dorahak said:
Oh the romance of a handwritten letter! You captured it so well in this prompt, Punam. Thank you for the inspiration. My sweet tooth craves a gulab jamun, and a cup of tea would be lovely! 🙂
paeansunplugged said:
How I miss handwritten letters! Sigh …
I am happy you liked the prompt.
Hot tea accompanied with hot gulab jamun especially for you, Dora! 🙂
dorahak said:
🙏💝
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
I had to imagine those letters… I was never any good at it and got all those fancy letters giving me some bad feelings for not writing…
paeansunplugged said:
But you made up for it by writing a lovely letter today.
Mish said:
Thank you for hosting, Punam. I love the idea of rekindling the art of writing letters. I would love some blueberry cake to go with my chai tea.
paeansunplugged said:
I am glad it resonated with you, Mish. A big slice of blueberry cake with tea for you coming up!
Mish said:
Thank you, Punam! 🙂
paeansunplugged said:
My pleasure. 🙂
pandamoniumcat said:
Lovely prompt…just Fyi there is on you tube Live Letters with celebrities reading real letters people have written. They’re quite funny and witty if you might like to watch.
paeansunplugged said:
Thank you! I am happy you like it.
I will surely check it out. Thanks for sharing.
msjadeli said:
priceless!
pandamoniumcat said:
There are some pretty good ones 🙂
msjadeli said:
I love Waika!!!!!!! He’s brilliant.
pandamoniumcat said:
He is amazing!!
paeansunplugged said:
Fantastic share! Loved it.
Melissa Lemay said:
“I think, we all have many, maybe hundreds, of unsent and unwritten letters inside us.”❤️
Thanks for the prompt, Punam.🙏🏻
paeansunplugged said:
Melissa, look forward to your letter. ❤️
I am glad you like the prompt. 🙏🏼
Melissa Lemay said:
I may or may not write to this one. I’ve been mindful of how much I’m taking on this week. I think you understand!
paeansunplugged said:
I certainly do! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. ❤️
Melissa Lemay said:
You, too!
paeansunplugged said:
🙏🏼😊
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msjadeli said:
Hello Punam and All. Not sure I did the prompt right, but I tried. Not easy to get vulnerable sometimes, but Barb let me know it’s ok. A hot cup of cocoa please if you have it.
paeansunplugged said:
Hi Li. So good to see you! One can never go wrong with writing a letter. A cup of piping hot cocoa just for you!
msjadeli said:
Thanks and Cheers!
paeansunplugged said:
Cheers!
paeansunplugged said:
It is past two and I am nodding off as I read your letters. Do excuse me for not commenting right away. I will be back during the day to read and comment. It’s good night for now. Hope to see a full mailbox in the morning. 🙂
kenhume31 said:
Great idea for a prompt Punam! 👍😁👌Used to love writing letters when I was younger taking great care to write everything I needed to say, even birthday cards and other special occasions too! 👍😁 Had all the crossed out words too! 😛😂
paeansunplugged said:
We did pour out our hearts in our letters, isn’t it! I am so happy you liked the prompt, Ken. 😊👍🏼
Helen said:
Greetings and Salutations! Your challenge is just that CHALLENGING. So many people, so many reasons. Whew. I would enjoy an eggnog today with a smidge of rum. ’tis the season, and it is brief.
paeansunplugged said:
Hello, dear Helen!
Eggnog with a smidge of rum, just for you ! Enjoy the season and maybe it is time to pick up that pen and let the letters flow.
Yvonne Osborne said:
This is a beautiful prompt! So apt for the Thanksgiving season. Thank you, thank you. I still try to write a few letters at Christmas. I enjoy it but few people reciprocate. I also think it’s a huge mistake to stop teaching children how to write in cursive. There are studies that show it wards off Alzheimer’s. Something about the way the brain connects with the hand.
paeansunplugged said:
Thanks so much, Yvonne! I appreciate your words.
How wonderful that you still write letters! But it has to be reciprocal to continue.
I totally agree about teaching writing in cursive. We spent hours as kids perfecting our penmanship.
Frewin55 said:
This year I took part in the Postcard Poetry Festival which involves writing a poem direct onto a postcard (no editing) and sending it to a stranger – 31 of them over a month – so rather than write a new one tonight, I thought I would share the last one I sent, which by the rules of the Festival was to the person whose card was the first one I received from. All of mine are present on my blog if you want to explore further – meantime I would appreciate an Irish “hot-one” to calm my brain before bed… [Irish Whisky, a spoonful of brown sugar and a slice of lemon studded with cloves and topped up with hot water!]
paeansunplugged said:
How wonderful that you participated in the Postcard Poetry Festival and it sounds like you enjoyed it thoroughly.
A “hot-one” for you just as you ordered. Cheers.
rog said:
hi all just dropped aquick letter to santa on my blog
will be back when i can for a read
rog
paeansunplugged said:
Great idea to send Santa an early letter, Rog!
Rob Kistner said:
Great prompt Punam. Unfortunately, I believe the escalating disappearance of hand-written, physically-exchanged communication is an ironically striking social comment regarding our ever more personally isolating and disconnecting world of today, as it spins up faster and faster to madness. As communicating becomes more and more truncated, and at greater and greater speed, the less and less it contains the human spirit.
Rob Kistner said:
…of truth and sincerity.
paeansunplugged said:
I wholeheartedly agree, Rob. Perhaps letters also signified mindful living and heartfelt connections.
Frank J. Tassone said:
Good Evening, poets! Thanks, Punam, for this captivating prompt! How about some burgundy? 😉
paeansunplugged said:
Hi Frank. Glad you like it. A glass of burgundy for you.🍷
rothpoetry said:
Thanks for hosting, Punam. You are so right that much is lost with the digital world. Interestingly I got a handwritten thank-you note in the mail today. Even though it is short it is very meaningful. Each word is special.
I will have an ice-cold cider.
paeansunplugged said:
That sounds wonderful, Dwight! I would call it serendipity! I agree, it is special.
An ice-cold cider for you! Enjoy.
rothpoetry said:
Thank you Punam. Still ruminating on this one. Not sure who to write to….
ren said:
i went playful with this one! thanks for hosting, paeansunplugged. i’ve always enjoyed letter-writing, but it’s been years since i’ve written or received one in the mail.
paeansunplugged said:
Great! Playful sounds fantastic! Sigh…we have all neither written nor received letters in our mailbox lately.
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pvcann said:
I wrote many letters up until the early nineties when I bought a desktop computer and took on emailing. I wrote one letter in the early 2000s but the experience was lost on me as it took time, too much time for me so I wouldn’t want to go back to it. The nearest I get is my periodic journalling. A fun prompt, thank you Punam.
paeansunplugged said:
I understand that, Paul. It is much easier to backspace and delete than to have a page full of cuttings and rewrites! And our handwriting due to disuse is indecipherable to even us!
I am happy that you like the prompt.
pvcann said:
Thanks Punam 🙂
brazannemuse said:
Oh this was fun – but not sure if I have composed as wanted1 ….I love a fountain pen and ink pot, and the beauty of Italic writing – an art in itself. A spray of scent on the sheerest of paper, which lingers, and AIRMAIL envelopes and licking the stamps. Always refolded and kept, to bring the moment back – thank you for a prompt that took me on a journey back in time ….. 💞Suzanne
paeansunplugged said:
Sigh….you brought back memories of precious love letters, Suzanne! ❤️
I agree, letter writing is an art. Thanks for adding your voice.
brazannemuse said:
Thank you ..
Xan said:
This was a hard one. I feel like I dropped into trope, but I gave it a shot!
paeansunplugged said:
I am so glad you joined in.b
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pensitivity101 said:
This is right up my street. Hope you like my response
Prior... said:
WE helped out with a Thanksgiving meal prep yesterday and about 12 of us wrote hand-written notes to go with each meal. We were talking about the personal touch that came with the hand Witten notes – and the power of work in general
but the uniqueness of our handwriting and signature style was part of the charm of what we added (even though many of us were rusty or had handwriting that we needed to work on!)
I enjoyed this post and theme for the challenge this week
🙂
poetisatinta said:
✍🏼 brilliant prompt Punam 🙌
Gypsie-Ami Offenbacher-Ferris said:
Written today, after a failed Thanksgiving due to my child’s alcohol addiction.
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