Victorian letter writing guides facts for kids
In the Victorian era (a time in England from 1837 to 1901), writing letters was a very popular way to communicate. People even had guides that taught them how to write letters correctly. These guides helped people understand what was polite and what was not. They also showed the balance between expressing true feelings and following social rules.
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How Victorians Wrote Letters
Victorian letter-writing guides paid close attention to how a letter looked, not just what it said.
What Letters Looked Like
The type of paper used was important. Guides suggested plain paper for men. For women, a light spray of perfume was sometimes okay. Some guides even said women could use fancy decorations like ribbons, drawings, or colorful paper. This often changed with fashion over the years. Early on, ribbons were popular. Later, heavy cream paper became trendy in the 1880s. By the end of the century, people used paper with their own special designs (monograms).
The way a letter was sealed also changed. At first, people used wax wafers or dried gum. Later, colored wax became more common. The color of the wax had special meanings. Black wax always meant someone was in mourning (sad about a death). Red wax was often used for business letters or letters from men to women. Women could use many different colors, no matter who they were writing to.
The color of ink was also discussed. Most people agreed that bold black ink was best. Blue ink was sometimes suggested as another option. Other colors were usually avoided, even though they had been popular in the past.
Rules for Writing Letters
Letter-writing guides gave mixed advice. They told people to write with true feelings. But they also warned against saying too much or saying the wrong things. This was true even if those "wrong things" were how the writer truly felt. Many guides cautioned that anyone could read a letter. This meant others could guess things about the writer, even if the person receiving the letter promised to burn it.
Love Letters and Proposals
Being careful about what you wrote was especially important in love letters. Even though people were told to write from the heart, there were many rules.
Men were warned not to praise their chosen bride too much. This could make them seem insincere. Instead, men were told to admire a woman's good character and her calm, modest nature in a marriage proposal.
Women, on the other hand, were told not to be too open or emotional in their letters. Even when accepting a proposal, they should only thank the man and praise his good qualities. Love letters often did not end with "love." Instead, they usually ended simply with "ever your friend."
The Value of Letters
Letters were not just for sending messages. They also show us what life was like for people in different times. We can learn a lot from both public and private letters.
James Willis Westlake was a teacher born in England in 1830, just before the Victorian era. He moved to America and believed letters were important historical documents. He wrote a book saying that letters help us learn about people and events from the past. He thought they were useful for understanding the good qualities of important people. He also believed that studying well-written letters could help people improve their own writing style.
Some famous people used letter writing as a way to be creative. Emily Dickinson, a poet, used her letters to challenge the limits women faced at the time. Letter writing was one of the few ways women could write creatively. Dickinson used this to her advantage, adding her own artistic style to traditional letters to improve her writing skills.
Beatrix Potter, a famous author and illustrator, often included pictures in her letters. She did this to find comfort and relief from family pressures.
Children in the Victorian era were also taught how to write letters. They learned to form letters neatly using special books with drawing and line instructions. One book, "Elementary Drawing Copy Books," combined learning the alphabet with drawing nature. Besides good handwriting, young boys and girls learned to write letters for different reasons. Girls' writing books taught them skills for managing a household. Boys' books taught them how to write for business.
