A contrast in writing style?

[drew]

I thought then, how sad that the English language has been reduced to what it is now. We have lost something quite beautiful.

Forsooth mine Fowl Friend, it is but a shame that in these our times, this rich and beautifull language of ours has been reduced to it's lowerst denominator.

[CovenantJr]

There were letters there, that the commanding Officer of the Union forces and the commanding Officer of the Confederate forces had written back and forth to each other. I was struck by how eloquent they were, the depth of language that was used, the honor and nobility exhibited by both of these men.

I recently read Frankenstein and noticed much the same thing. Since most of the book is written in the form of Victor telling his story aloud to a companion, the text is largely in the style of dialogue. The impression I received every time I opened the book was of (as has been mentioned) a formal, apparently quite rigid, mode of speech, but also one that seems far more capable of passionate expression than modern colloquial language.

[LordSlaytan]

I like the stand-up that uses those comparisons.

Letter from civil war soldier to wife: "My dearest Maria, the days are long and I am unable to dissremember our nights together under the stars when we knew our love would last forever"

Letter from Gulf war soldier to wife: "Deer maria, it's f***in hot here and i miss f***in you so bad"

[onewyteduck]

Funny. Sad, but funny.