A poison pen letter is a letter or note containing unpleasant, abusive or malicious statements or accusations about the recipient or a third party. It is usually sent anonymously. Poison pen letters are usually composed and sent to upset the recipient. They were an outlet for the quick temper of Beethoven, who wrote several, while one figures in the life of Francis Bacon.

With the advent of e-mail and the general decline in letter writing, poison pen letters have become something of a rarity.

See also

• hate mail
• chain letter
• Stalking