The Twelve Days of Lincoln

February 7

Five Important Take-Aways from Lincoln’s Letter to Mrs. Bixby

I remember first reading the Bixby Letter as a child in a collection my mother kept in our home entitled “101 Famous Poems.” I did not realize how well-known this collection of poems was, but looking back I think this anthology was important in my development as one who appreciates history, art, poetry, and literature. I remember reading works by Longellow, Whitman, Sandburg, and Seeger in addition to this letter penned by our 16th President.

Even at a young age I was struck by Lincoln’s ability to synthesize so many feelings into such a short letter. Read it a few more times and contemplate some of the reasons for which this letter has become so famous. While I’m sure literary experts have much better ways for determining its greatness than I do, here are my five takeaways for why this is such a masterpiece:

1. Vocabulary – One of the reasons we marvel at the vocabulary Lincoln utilized is because he had such a brief formal education. The higher use of the language to convey such deep and sincere emotions is simply amazing.
2. Humility – Though the letter was actually written by the most powerful man in the county at the time, it in no way reflects any qualities which would make any reader think it was written to glorify or serve our President in any way.
3. Leadership – While Lincoln’s choice of words and style reflect his humble position as a human being, it also assures the reader that Lincoln understood his role in the war and the importance of not simply being perceived as “humble” by Mrs. Bixby, but as the leader of the United States.
4. Brevity – Lincoln’s letter, like his Gettysburg Address, was short. Lincoln packed more feeling and sympathy into 131 words than most people could express in 131 pages. Lincoln was truly a gifted communicator and this gift was an important tool to be used to wage and end the worst of all American wars.
5. Genuine – Most importantly Lincoln’s Letter to Mrs. Bixby is geninuely heartfelt and expresses his deep sympathy to a mother who had lost five sons. As Lincoln had lost two sons of his own by this point, he knew of the grief and loss like few other presidents had known before or since.