They were kind of right though, weren't they? Its hard to say that they exaggerated their greatness when we still read and talk about them hundreds of years later.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Some of what you are experiencing is a change to our culture regarding the written word. Look at letters that were written by regular people during the Civil War. A lot of the language is what we would consider poetic. For example, a letter from a non-officer in 1863 opens: "I now take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same." That's much different from "Hey babe. I'm fine and I miss you." People talked differently and they wrote differently too.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

That is not at all what they said....

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Prior to the late 20th century, writers strove for a highly elevated level of expression that is foreign to us now. Yes, their style was definitely much more stylized, and keep in mind that some of the examples you provide come from France which has the Acadamie Francaise, a highly conservative and prescriptive organization.

by General-Frosting-314 3 months ago