- Long letters: http://www.bartleby.com/95/28.html
- Short letters and notes: http://www.bartleby.com/95/27.html
- Invitations: http://www.bartleby.com/95/11.html
Logically, letters from antiquity and those written today begin with a greeting. During medieval times, the opening of a letter was standard. Writers would use "Salutatio" or include an opening prayer to introduce their content. Modern written communication has blurred in it's formality and standardization, causing a wide variety of addresses. Some writers will air on the personal, informal side with "Hey ________!", especially in the case of a post card or invitation. Others prefer the quintessential and more formal "Dear _______," before they scrawl their thoughts across the page.
I think the differences between medieval and modern letter writing developed when letters stopped being the primary source of communication. Previous to the telegraph, radio and telephone, writing was the main mechanism for people in any geographic region to connect with those beyond. The decentralized nature of government, as stated in the text, demanded formal interaction via letters. Documents were signed, laws ratified and history made based on the information passed in letter format. Additionally, letters written in the past would generally include an introduction of the author. The pastoral epistles found in the New Testament Bible each bear verses stating, "I, Paul, the apostle whom Christ loved" or "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope...,". The ritual of establishing ethos with the reader is one that did not survive in the evolution of letter writing. At some point, people began to assume that the name signed at the bottom of the letter or printed as the return address was actually the author. Letters written in the past also contained an element of charge. The author would typically ask the recipient to do something, whether a minor task or a major undertaking. In my experience, unless an RSVP is requested, not many demands are being made in letters.
Of course there are similarities in letters from both times, primarily because the device itself has not changed in nature. People write to one another to communicate. They want to share information, guidance, wisdom, experience or some other story. The intent is to be considerate toward another person's feelings and life story while simultaneously catching up with them.
Technology has had a major impact on letter writing. The formality and appreciation of letters has been stripped away in the advent of constant emailing, inter-office memo sending and e-vites. People prefer tapping away at the keyboard, whether on a touch screen or an actual computer, to sitting down with a pen and paper. More than anything, I think this departure has occurred because people are expected to maintain a fast-paced lifestyle, consistent with the amount of responsibility they carry. Surely, President Obama could not wait for a letter with answers to a question he asked before making a pivotal decision. Email has revolutionized the speed of communication, for the better. Doctors are able to gather information from other caretakers and patients, lawyers can initiate letters of engagement through electronic communication and teachers can reach out to parents whose children require special attention. The immediacy of these issues is addressed through technological means. That being said, there is still a special place in my heart and my mailbox for handwritten notes. My great uncle Phil, an attorney and elocutionist, used to write the most beautiful birthday and Christmas cards to each of his 30 relatives. I looked forward to their semi-annual arrival because I knew the time and effort he dispensed into each one.
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