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Captain Wentworth’s Love Letter

February 8, 2021 by Rachel Dodge

Captain Wentworth’s letter to Anne Elliot at the end of Jane Austen’s Persuasion has long been heralded as one of the most romantic letters—and moments—in English literature. But does Wentworth’s letter live up to today’s standards of a really well-written love letter?

If you look up how to write the perfect love letter on the Internet, quite a lot of interesting information comes up. One article that might be of particular interest to a man like Captain Wentworth is this one: “How to Write a Love Letter” by Brett and Kate McKay from the web site, The Art of Manliness.

First, the article states that, “A handwritten letter is something tangible that we touch and hold and then pass to another to touch and hold. And they are preserved and cherished in a way that text messages or email never will be.” Captain Wentworth’s letter certainly meets this criteria. He writes his letter to Anne by hand, folds the paper “hastily,” and writes a “hardly legible” direction “to ‘Miss A. E.— ’” on the outside. (As to whether his letter will be preserved and cherished, I’ll leave that up to your excellent imaginations.)

Captain Wentworth pens his letter.

Next, there is the mode of delivery. For lovers who are separated by miles, an envelope and a stamp do the job nicely. Others might choose to leave their letters under a door mat, on a bedside table, or beside a dinner plate. As for Wentworth, he prefers the rather intense (and covert) personal delivery system for his letter to Anne:

[Wentworth] drew out a letter from under the scattered paper, placed it before Anne with eyes of glowing entreaty fixed on her for a time, and hastily collecting his gloves, was again out of the room, almost before Mrs Musgrove was aware of his being in it: the work of an instant!

Jane Austen’s Persuasion
“Placed it before Anne.” Illustration by C.E. Brock, 1909.

Finally, we must consider the contents of the letter. Wentworth hastily writes his letter at a writing table as he listens in on Anne and Captain Harville’s conversation about love and constancy. But does his hurried letter check all the boxes of a first-rate love letter?

The Art of Manliness suggests that every good love letter much include six major elements. Let’s go through the checklist and find out if Wentworth’s letter to Anne makes the grade:

Six Keys to a Good Love Letter

1. Start off by stating the purpose of your letter. Captain Wentworth certainly doesn’t waste any time getting to the point and stating his purpose. There is no question that this is a passionate love letter right from the start:

“I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago.”

2. Recall a romantic memory. Though their past is painful, Wentworth lets Anne know that his memories of her—and his love for her—have never faded, no matter what has happened between them or what he has tried to do to heal and forget her:

“Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant.”

3. Tell her all the things you love about her. For Captain Wentworth, every word out of Anne’s mouth is like water to his thirsty soul. He knows her voice better than anyone else and hangs on her every word:

“I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed.”

4. Tell her how your life has changed since meeting her. Wentworth could probably write a whole book about this (indeed, Austen did), but his letter checks this box in a rather dramatic way as he reveals that Anne is the only thing he cares about and that she is the sole focus of all his thoughts and plans:

“You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine.”

5. Reaffirm your love and commitment. Wentworth declares his love several times in this letter and has no trouble expressing his commitment to Anne. He clearly asks for her hand in marriage:

“I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago.” He declares his love in absolute terms: “I have loved none but you.” And after listening to her conversation with Captain Harville, he closes his letter with another affirmation of his fervent and undying love for her:

“You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in F. W.”

6. End with a line that sums up your love. One might actually think Captain Wentworth was a contributing writer for The Art of Manliness because he accomplishes this task with an eloquent post script, asking for one word or look from Anne to seal his fate:

“I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father’s house this evening or never.”

Captain Wentworth’s Letter by TurtleDoves.

The Right Response

Wentworth’s letter certainly seems to satisfy the most important aspects of an eloquent love letter, but the true test of any romantic letter is the addressee’s response. For that, we must go to Anne herself for her reaction to the letter:

Such a letter was not to be soon recovered from. Half an hour’s solitude and reflection might have tranquillized her; but the ten minutes only which now passed before she was interrupted, with all the restraints of her situation, could do nothing towards tranquillity. Every moment rather brought fresh agitation. It was overpowering happiness.

Jane Austen’s Persuasion

Indeed, Wentworth’s letter is a complete success. When they meet in the street, Anne returns his pointed look and the “cheeks which had been pale now glowed, and the movements which had hesitated were decided.” There, in the street, they exchange “again those feelings and those promises which had once before seemed to secure everything, but which had been followed by so many, many years of division and estrangement.”

Truly, “such a letter” is not to be “soon recovered from.” By Anne or by us.

The sky’s the limit with letter writing. And love letters are never to be outdone by “newsy,” handwritten letters that fly back and forth between friends. But if you do write a love letter, make sure you take some pointers from Captain Wentworth.

For more information about the digitized version of Captain Wentworth’s Letter by TurtleDoves on Etsy (pictured above), click HERE.

Works Cited:

Austen, Jane. “Persuasion.” The Project Gutenberg E-Text of Persuasion, by Jane Austen, 2019, http://www.gutenberg.org/files/105/105-h/105-h.htm.

McKay, Brett and Kate. “30 Days to a Better Man Day 28: Write a Love Letter.” The Art of Manliness, 2 Oct. 2020, http://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-28-write-a-love-letter/.

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, gives talks at libraries, teas, and book clubs, and writes for Jane Austen’s World and Jane Austen’s Regency World. She is the author of Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen and The Anne of Green Gables Devotional: A Chapter-By-Chapter Companion for Kindred Spirits. You can visit Rachel online at www.RachelDodge.com.

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Posted in Jane Austen Novels, Persuasion, Regency letters, Valentine's Day | 16 Comments

16 Responses

  1. on February 8, 2021 at 01:31 madams16

    Absolutely loved reading this! What a perfect reminder of this perfect love moment . . . especially appreciated just a week before Saint Valentine’s Day, and even more given the gloominess of approaching February 14th in this pandemic time. Grateful for the enduring beauty and insight of Austen’s work.


  2. on February 8, 2021 at 02:52 dholcomb1

    It’s the perfect literary love letter.

    denise


  3. on February 8, 2021 at 03:45 ellekirk

    Mom, Click on the three dots and read captain Wentworth’s letter….. sigh

    On Sun, Feb 7, 2021 at 7:31 PM Jane Austen’s World wrote:

    > Rachel Dodge posted: ” Captain Wentworth’s letter to Anne Elliot at the > end of Jane Austen’s Persuasion has long been heralded as one of the most > romantic letters—and moments—in English literature. But does Wentworth’s > letter live up to today’s standards of a really well-writt” >


  4. on February 8, 2021 at 11:16 purplestoneblog

    Capt. Wentworth’s letter chokes me with emotion 200 years after the fact. I can only imagine what it did to Anne. Good analysis.


  5. on February 8, 2021 at 12:21 Tony Grant

    I enjoyed reading this Rachel. Even I can empathise with how Captain Wentworth felt.


  6. on February 8, 2021 at 14:50 Lisa at Micro of the Macro

    What a perfect post for this week! I love everything about personal letters, especially when a man writes them to his beloved! 🌞


  7. on February 8, 2021 at 15:38 Vic

    Rachel, Captain Wentworth’s words always make my heart flutter. What individual, be it man or woman, would not give anything for such a constant, unwavering love from another human being? Like Madam 16 said, this post is the perfect Valentine’s day present.


  8. on February 8, 2021 at 16:20 Mindy Moyer

    What a beautiful letter!!!
    Austen was a Genius!


  9. on February 9, 2021 at 07:20 Charlotte

    It’s a beautifully written letter and one I would absolutely love to receive. However let us not lose sight that it was written by a woman for a woman,so it’s what women want but probably we would rarely get that intensity from a man.


  10. on February 9, 2021 at 17:42 Maxine Burrows

    I thoroughly enjoyed this article. I am a fan of Jane Austen. Persuasion is my favourite novel. The scene between Anne and Frederick moves me to tears. I usually attend the Jane Austen festival in Bath.


  11. on February 9, 2021 at 22:01 suzanlauder

    I just recently read the chapters that were cut to make way for the letter. It’s fabulous. Thanks for this additional analysis. It was fun!


  12. on February 10, 2021 at 15:18 Kristi Bartholomew

    Great article, and I was happily surprised to see you quote from and refer to The Art of Manliness! A favorite of my husband! :)


  13. on February 15, 2021 at 04:11 Ann Austin

    Thanks for sharing this. It is a heart-warming letter.


  14. on February 23, 2021 at 11:44 Janet Davis

    Very true about the hand-written letter: I just recently re-read the letters sent to me by my husband 25 years ago- before texts and emails were at our disposal. Worth a fortune!


  15. on March 2, 2021 at 18:20 specs1968

    I can only quote the immortal words of Paris Hilton,
    “That’s hot “.


    • on March 2, 2021 at 19:28 madams16

      Yes indeed



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