“A condolence letter is a strange hybrid of forms. It is for the mourner, but for the deceased. It's formal, but emotional. It gestures simultaneously to the past, present and future. He seeks to provide comfort while recognizing that there is no real comfort to be given. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln found himself writing letters to the loved ones of many fallen Union soldiers. In subsequent letters of condolence, Lincoln attempts to evoke emotions and memories about the mourners' decline by describing the type of person their loss was. Lincoln also tries to lay the foundation for the healing process of the bereaved by using bright and vivid words. , but knowing that his words are not enough for the mourners, he tells them that he was once in their situation in an attempt to let them know that he knows what he is talking about. In the three letters of condolence, Abraham Lincoln describes the fallen Union. brave and/or kind soldiers, which arouses emotions in its audience. In the first letter, Lincoln states that although Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth was young, he had the "power" to command men and that this power was a combination of "refined intellect, indomitable energy and 'a completely military taste'. » By stating this, Lincoln conceives in the minds of Ellsworth's parents what kind of soldier their son was. it can also be inferred that by stating this, it reveals a son that, perhaps, Ellsworth's parents did not know about. This indicates that Ellsworth was a tough person on the battlefield, which is what you need to be when you're on the field. In the second letter, Lincoln also defines Fanny's father as "brave." But unlike Ellsworth's parent who perhaps did not know the "brave" side of their son, a ca...... middle of paper ...... a purer and holier... » by constantly reminding Fanny that she is young and that the memory of her father will become pure and holy thanks to his young heart, Lincoln sheds light on the tragic news of his loss. Reminding him that his agony will fade and turn into a “sad and sweet” memory. In the third letter, Lincoln does not use the same strategy because Madame has lost all five of his sons, but he states: "I pray that our Heavenly Father...and leaves you only the precious memories of those loved and lost..." In stating this, Lincoln indicates that he hopes that Madame will recover from all her losses and remember her sons as the people they were. even though he says it differently due to the different type of audience, Lincoln delivers the bad news and constantly uses bright and vivid words in order to establish a foundation for the audience's healing process..