The Rhetoric of Lincoln's Letters

Although citing individual letters for biographical and critical purposes, Lincoln's letters have not been studied as a whole. But careful study of his letters reveals that studying Lincoln's letter writing is fundamental to understanding his development as a writer of memorable prose.

---

Lincoln's letters have been cited in countless biographical and critical works yet have received little scholarly attention as a whole. This comprehensive study reveals his letters to be fundamental to understanding his development as a writer. Early on, he employed Hugh Blair's popular idea of developing "taste" in written documents, and carefully studied the letters of his contemporaries. He wrote more than 5000 of his own. As he became more proficient, he employed more sophisticated rhetorical strategies to deal with political opponents, imperious generals and critics of his policies.