Handwritten letters are a long-cherished way to express one of the most profound human emotions: love. As seen in the hurried scribbles of soldiers on the front lines or the turmoil of unrequited love, these letters capture the essence of a universal language. While today’s romantic exchanges might take the form of acronyms and emojis, the sentiment remains the same, hearkening back to the very first love letters, crafted thousands of years ago.
Today, everyone is just a few clicks away, but communication throughout history has been much more complicated. For centuries, letters were the only way to bridge distances, and as such, people fell in and out of love through these lines.
The history of love letters traces back to the Bhagavata-purana, a 10th-century sacred Hindu text. In one story, Princess Rukmini writes a love letter to Lord Krishna, proclaiming her unwavering affection. Declarations of love through writing were common in other ancient empires, too. In Egypt, love songs from the Ramesside period (13th to 12th centuries BCE) survive on rolls of papyrus, chronicling firsthand accounts of the trials and tribulations of love.
In ancient Rome, Cicero, one of the empire’s most prolific writers, put his pen to love letters. To his third wife, Calpurnia, he wrote:
Tales of romance are among the most enduring in history, proving that even the most powerful and famous individuals are not immune to the vulnerability of love. Take, for instance, Napoleon Bonaparte, the military leader who conquered much of Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Historians estimate that Napoleon wrote over 250 love letters to his wife Joséphine. These letters convey not only his affection but also his grandiose nature. In March 1796, he wrote: “I thought that I loved you months ago, but since my separation from you I feel that I love you a thousand fold more. Each day since I knew you, have I adored you yet more and more.”
Though better known for composing symphonies and sonatas, Beethoven poured his heart into a letter to the so-called “Immortal Beloved.” The recipient’s true identity remains a mystery, but the letter, which Beethoven kept with him until his death, is proof of a romance that likely never came to fruition. A famous excerpt from the 1812 letter reads: “Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, Be calm–love me–today–yesterday–what tearful longings for you–you–you–my life–my all–farewell. Oh continue to love me–never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.” He signed off with the words “Ever thine. Ever mine. Ever ours.”
Years later, the literary love affair of authors Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West produced some of the most beautifully written letters of the 20th century. Despite hiding their romance under the guise of friendship, the women’s correspondence reveals a deep emotional connection. In 1927, Vita wrote, “I am reduced to a thing that wants Virginia. I composed a beautiful letter to you in the sleepless nightmare hours of the night, and it has all gone: I just miss you, in a quite simple desperate human way.”
Victorian-era love letters were essential to courtship in America and Great Britain, and etiquette manuals provided advice on crafting the perfect letter. It needed to be as eloquent as it was appropriate — one couldn’t be too forward. In a time when courting couples were not permitted private meetings until marriage, exchanging love letters was perceived as an intimate act, akin to holding a hand or sharing a kiss.
This tradition found new prominence during World War I, when young couples relied on love letters to maintain relationships as they were separated by thousands of miles and the experience of war. The romantic tradition persisted during World War II, as demonstrated by President George H. W. Bush’s 1943 letter to his then-fiancée, Barbara:
Today’s love letters undoubtedly sound worlds apart from their predecessors — one look at their salutations provides evidence. Translating an early Middle Ages letter into modern English gives us: “To my sweetest and dearest in everything, my honey-sweet girlfriend [insert name here]…” Today, a succinct “Hey, babe” via text message is far more likely.
It seems that over-the-top written expressions of affection have disappeared in the face of social media feeds and online status updates. Flowery prose has been sacrificed to keep up with our fast-paced lives. But just because the pomp and circumstance of pen and paper have faded doesn’t mean modern love letters have to lack intention. Instead of graceful penmanship, consider your carefully selected heart emojis. The human desire to connect is timeless, and digital communication can say just as much as parchment letters that have crossed the ocean.
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