The Art and Rhetoric of Letter Writing: Preserving Rhetorical Strategies Throughout Time

Abstract

This essay offers an overview of how the art and rhetoric of letter writing has evolved from the classical, medieval, and Renaissance periods, and through the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries by examining each period for features that demonstrate its importance. This essay examines how some of the rhetorical techniques and strategies of letter writing from these periods have helped guide writers throughout time. Although some of the purposes of letter writing changed throughout the centuries, rhetorical strategies and techniques found in various manuals, ranging from persuasion to eloquence, are still implemented in writing instruction today.