ENG1502
ASSIGNMENT 3 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: 22 AUGUST 2025
, ENG1502 ASSIGNMENT 03 – 2025
Selected Text (299 words)
Adams, T. (2020) The lost art of letter writing. The Atlantic, 9 November.
Before email and instant messaging, letters were the lifeblood of long-distance
communication. They were deliberate, tangible, and often treasured. Today, in an age
of rapid, ephemeral messages, the handwritten letter feels almost archaic — yet its
value has never been greater.
Writing a letter demands patience. You choose paper, select your words carefully, and
commit them to the page without the safety net of delete buttons. This slowness fosters
reflection. A letter’s arrival is not just a delivery of information but a gift of time and
thought.
Letters also carry a physical presence. The texture of the paper, the slope of the
handwriting, even the faint scent from the sender’s home, all serve as intimate
reminders of human connection. Unlike a text message lost in a digital thread, a letter
can be held, reread, and kept for decades.
Some argue that instant messaging is simply more efficient. That may be true, but
efficiency is not the only measure of worth. In an era when attention is fragmented and
communication fleeting, a handwritten letter is an act of devotion — a refusal to rush, a
statement that the recipient is worth the effort.
Perhaps the future of letters is not mass return but selective revival. Occasional letters,
written for milestones, farewells, or simply to say “I was thinking of you,” could remind
us that words, when given form and substance, have the power to outlast the moment.
Analysis
ASSIGNMENT 3 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: 22 AUGUST 2025
, ENG1502 ASSIGNMENT 03 – 2025
Selected Text (299 words)
Adams, T. (2020) The lost art of letter writing. The Atlantic, 9 November.
Before email and instant messaging, letters were the lifeblood of long-distance
communication. They were deliberate, tangible, and often treasured. Today, in an age
of rapid, ephemeral messages, the handwritten letter feels almost archaic — yet its
value has never been greater.
Writing a letter demands patience. You choose paper, select your words carefully, and
commit them to the page without the safety net of delete buttons. This slowness fosters
reflection. A letter’s arrival is not just a delivery of information but a gift of time and
thought.
Letters also carry a physical presence. The texture of the paper, the slope of the
handwriting, even the faint scent from the sender’s home, all serve as intimate
reminders of human connection. Unlike a text message lost in a digital thread, a letter
can be held, reread, and kept for decades.
Some argue that instant messaging is simply more efficient. That may be true, but
efficiency is not the only measure of worth. In an era when attention is fragmented and
communication fleeting, a handwritten letter is an act of devotion — a refusal to rush, a
statement that the recipient is worth the effort.
Perhaps the future of letters is not mass return but selective revival. Occasional letters,
written for milestones, farewells, or simply to say “I was thinking of you,” could remind
us that words, when given form and substance, have the power to outlast the moment.
Analysis
