What can letters tell us?

By reading between the lines of letters we can learn a lot about the social, historical, political and cultural contexts in which the letter was written.

The writers of letters also give away information about their own attitudes and values through the way that they write.

4 questions to ask when first reading a letter:

Who has written this letter?
Who was the intended recipient of this letter?
When was this letter written?
Why was this letter written?

These 4 basic questions will help you to start to uncover the deeper meanings within letters.

Now click on the 'Unlocking a Letter' quiz opposite to complete 5 activities which use the 4 questions to unlock the deeper meanings in Frank Kelly's letter.

	Created by Sarah Holmes almost 10 years ago

A notes page providing learners with some key questions to ask in order to unlock the hidden meanings in letters