Handwritten manuscripts carry a beauty that transcends the words themselves. The flowing curves of Arabic script evoke the tradition of Islamic calligraphy, a centuries-old art form that combines harmony, intention, and devotion. The art of handwriting has long been revered as both an adornment and a skill, embodying refinement and discipline. As the poem reminds us: “Learn the discipline of handwriting, O seeker of refinement, for handwriting is the adornment of the cultivated. If you are wealthy, your handwriting is an ornament, and if you are in need, it becomes the finest means of earning.” - from my essay on The Modern Renaissance
As a persistent letter-writer, Ioved this. My handwriting is not elegant, but it's pretty legible and very like my mother's, something I find interesting, given that we were taught in different schools by different people. But I like that my letters look like hers. I remember learning to form the letters in small A6 exercise books with faintly ruled double lines that showed you where the drum of the 'd', say, should reach. We learned to write in pencil, and then when we went to the high school, we had to use a biro. Never liked that biro.
To whom does the final paragraph refer?
Orwell leaves it unsaid, so I will need to confirm - but it's almost certainly E. M. Forster.
JW
Thanks.
Handwritten manuscripts carry a beauty that transcends the words themselves. The flowing curves of Arabic script evoke the tradition of Islamic calligraphy, a centuries-old art form that combines harmony, intention, and devotion. The art of handwriting has long been revered as both an adornment and a skill, embodying refinement and discipline. As the poem reminds us: “Learn the discipline of handwriting, O seeker of refinement, for handwriting is the adornment of the cultivated. If you are wealthy, your handwriting is an ornament, and if you are in need, it becomes the finest means of earning.” - from my essay on The Modern Renaissance
Guilty as charged.
As a persistent letter-writer, Ioved this. My handwriting is not elegant, but it's pretty legible and very like my mother's, something I find interesting, given that we were taught in different schools by different people. But I like that my letters look like hers. I remember learning to form the letters in small A6 exercise books with faintly ruled double lines that showed you where the drum of the 'd', say, should reach. We learned to write in pencil, and then when we went to the high school, we had to use a biro. Never liked that biro.
I am wholly embarrassed by my handwriting. Even when I try to write very neatly with a pen, it looks like Charlie Brown’s attempts to do the same.