Collections of letters

Encoding Instructions (old P4 version)

When a letter appears within a collection which consists entirely of letters, or in a collection consisting of letters, essays, and other short works each of which can be encoded as a separate div, the WWP will use div type="letter". Within div, most letters will contain an opener, body paragraphs, and a closer.

Note that opener and closer have the same content model, to accommodate the fact that some letters have the dateline and similar information at the end rather than at the beginning. Note as well that signed is not only for actual signatures, but for printed names as well.

Note also that the TEI currently does not provide in any satisfactory way for postscripts; the WWP uses the WWP element ps.

Example 1. <div
          type="letter"><opener><dateline>London, 25 March
          1746</dateline> <salute>Dear
          Harry,</salute></opener> <p> You are a chicken.
          I have always wanted to tell you so.</p>
          <closer><salute>Yours in avian joy,</salute>
          <signed><persName>Perdita</persName></signed>
          </closer></div>