What a wonderful thing is the mail, capable of conveying across continents a warm human hand-clasp.
—Unknown
If you must reread old love letters, better pick a room without mirrors.
—Mignon McLaughlin (1913–83) American Journalist, Author
Never write a letter if you can help it, and never destroy one.
—John A. Macdonald (1815–91) Prime Minister of Canada
If you are in doubt whether to write a letter or not, don’t. And the advice applies to many doubts in life besides that of letter writing.
—Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803–73) British Novelist, Poet, Politician
Correspondences are like small clothes before the invention of suspenders; it is impossible to keep them up.
—Sydney Smith (1771–1845) English Clergyman, Essayist, Wit
The first love letters are written with the eyes.
—French Proverb
It does me good to write a letter which is not a response to a demand, a gratuitous letter, so to speak, which has accumulated in me like the waters of a reservoir.
—Henry Miller (1891–1980) American Novelist
There must be millions of people all over the world who never get any love letters… I could be their leader.
—Charles M. Schulz (1922–2000) American Cartoonist, Writer, Artist
A strange volume of real life in the daily packet of the postman. Eternal love and instant payment.
—Douglas William Jerrold (1803–57) English Writer, Dramatist, Wit
In a man’s letters you know, Madam, his soul lies naked, his letters are only the mirror of his breast, whatever passes within him is shown undisguised in its natural process. Nothing is inverted, nothing distorted, you see systems in their elements, you discover actions in their motives.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
The true character of epistolary style is playfulness and urbanity.
—Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) French Writer, Moralist
Politeness is as much concerned in answering letters within a reasonable time, as it is in returning a bow, immediately.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
Sir, more than kisses, letters mingle souls. For, thus friends absent speak.
—John Donne (1572–1631) English Poet, Cleric
To find out your real opinion of someone, judge the impression you have when you first see a letter from them.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher
Let your letter be written as accurately as you are able—I mean as to language, grammar, and stops; but as to the matter of it the less trouble you give yourself the better it will be. Letters should be easy and natural, and convey to the persons to whom we send just what we should say if we were with them.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
The post office has a great charm at one point of our lives. When you have lived to my age, you will begin to think letters are never worth going through the rain for.
—Jane Austen (1775–1817) English Novelist
Friends will write me letters. They run out of room on the front of the letter. They write “over” on the bottom of the letter. Like I’m that much of a moron. Like I need that there. Because if it wasn’t there, I’d get to the bottom of the page: “And so Kathy and I went shopping and we..”. That’s the craziest thing! I don’t know why she would just end it that way.
—Ellen DeGeneres (b.1958) American Comedian, Television Host
He who writes love letters must have clammy hands.
—German Proverb
A letter shows the man it is written to as well as the man it is written by.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
A dream that is not interpreted is like a letter that has not been opened.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of reference.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
If I had more time I would write a shorter letter.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
A letter always seemed to me like Immortality, for is it not the Mind alone, without corporeal friend?
—Emily Dickinson (1830–86) American Poet
I sometimes think one of the great blessings we shall enjoy in heaven, will be to receive letters by every post and never be obliged to reply to them.
—Washington Irving (1783–1859) American Essayist, Biographer, Historian
Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
O ay, letters – I had letters – I am persecuted with letters – I hate letters – nobody knows how to write letters; and yet one has ’em, one does not know why – they serve one to pin up one’s hair.
—William Congreve (1670–1729) English Playwright, Poet
The best time to frame an answer to the letters of a friend, is the moment you receive them. Then the warmth of friendship, and the intelligence received, most forcibly cooperate.
—William Shenstone (1714–63) British Poet, Landscape Gardener
A good face they say, is a letter of recommendation. O Nature, Nature, why art thou so dishonest, as ever to send men with these false recommendations into the World!
—Henry Fielding (1707–54) English Novelist, Dramatist
When he wrote a letter, he would put that which was most material in the postscript, as if it had been a by-matter.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
A woman’s best love letters are always written to the man she is betraying.
—Lawrence Durrell (1912–90) British Biographer, Poet, Playwright, Novelist