The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-01-27
The Importance -
y of Punctuation.

~ OF FunCtuaffOn.
Punctuation is the written equivalent OF
gestures. pausss and infection. IN speech
Is Of eourse unnecessary. In writing Il
most convenient and almost essential. In
orai Discourse we indicate surprise, fear and
delight BY the tone OF the voice. the express
SION Of ~ face or the motion OF the hands
Or the body In written discourse we have
no such powerful means of conveying our
emotions, but we can hint at them by means
oil the dash and the exclamation point when
We come 10 the end OF statement in speak
Jug We let the Voice drop and pause mo-
ment In writing we place a period. II
we wish 20 insert something by the way
we say It in lower tone OF voice, In writ
ing we inclose it in commas dashes or pa
rentheses. At the end OF a question we raise
the voice. in writing We place an interruga-
ton point
punctuation is sometimes regarded as a
formal thing and TO a certain extent it 10.
Each Of the marks has a significance OF its
own which must be regarded One mark In
dleates one degree of separation In the
/ thought another stronger or weaker de-
gree or difference in thought or emotion.
Certain marks are used within sentences,
others appear only at the end, others are
used in both places. The colon, semicolon.
Gamma and dash appear only in the middle
oil sentences. The period, exccpt after abbre-
vauons. appears only at the end The 10
teTogation point is used rarely except at
the end, and the exclamation point is usea
al the end Of an exclamation wherever that
may be- As far as these matters Of sIgnli-
cameo and general position are concerned,
punctuation is formal ,hlns
Hut the old-lashioncd idea that II Is a
thing TO be learned and hat there is a rule
to fl every case Is no longer held. Children
are no LONGER taught by number the thirteen
rulee lor the use of the comma. They arc
taught that the comma 'adoates q slight
setting eff Of one idea from another, beirg
the outward symbol OF a slight break in tho
thought. They are taught that semieolon
Indicates a stronger separation ana is never
uued TO set off single words from each other.
as the comma often is. but hnds IFS use ia
learn that the colon sets of sharply what
learn that the colon sets m sharply what
comes after it from what goes before, and
tina, It is consequently used less often than
the other marks, its chief uses being to
preccde formal Specifications and to set on
two parts Of a long and unusually balanced
and compl Gated sentence.
-
Having grasped these general principles,
the modern child applies them to the best
Of his ability. his ability Increasing as his
comprehension of thought relations and his
power CT expression increase. Common sense
governs Largely the mater Of punctuation.
In a given case that punctuation is best,
lust as that word is best, which conveys
most readily and for:ibly to the reader what
the writer has in mind
Any one who reads aloud appreciates the
importance Of punctuation. 1t is OF the
greatest assis nnco to him in grasping and
Interpreting the thought 1t and the words
are the only means OF communication be-
tween the reader and tho writer, the pune
tua ion being like a commentary that goes
with the words to elucidate the thought
and convey the emotions OF the writer. OF
ten. especially in poetry where tho order OF
the words is likely to be inverted the pune
tuation determines the significance OF a
massage Even one comma or hyphen more or
less may change materially the meaning OF
line. For instance, in Julius Caesar,
Tact t. scene 3D. where Casoa IS describing
to Cicero tho strange and fearful storm, this
punctuation varies in different editions TIE
passage appears either
Never till now.
Did I go through tcmpest-drcpping Are
or
"Neyer TIL now
Did I 20 through tempest dropping ire.'
Homer B. sprague in his edition OF tbs
play, uuholds in a note the folio punctuation
tempe 81 dropping fire. saying: Rove
dTO9) and almost all editors since omit the
hyphens as if Casca never cav lightning II
storm beforel Retain the hyphens, ant
the skv is all alamo fiery deluge descend
ing in tempest tempest-ire. a droppins
FIRE, tempcst-dropping fire. Let US be care
flu how we attempt to improve on Shake
speare."
Marks OF punctuation are BY no means deaf
things TO be inserted according TO rule No
are they TO be sprlnkled in where they lool
we'll as some letter-wrters OF fifty year
ago beiieved-about so many commas to,
page and a period here and there. They arr
in modern times an important part of writ
ten expression. and their use, outside Of Ger
tain fixed limits should be determined 70
in ivdual cases by the best usage and b
reason,
Macau'ay's essays abound in examples o
effective punctuation. For example to quot
from southey's "Colloaues" at the poin
whore he is expos ng fallacy In logic. h
says: "wo will propose a very plain diem
ma, either physical pain is an evil. or
is not an evil. II & is IN ayil, Their thcr
. is a necessary evil in the universe, 4 1t
not, why should the poor be delivered fror
III" And again, to quote The closing sen
tence Of his essay on Samuel Johnson. whic
is so long tina, It would be awkward unles
sklllfu;ly managed and carefully nuactuated
"lhe reputation Of those writings. which h
probably expected to be immortal, is ever
day fading while those peculiarlties of man
ner ana that careless table talk. the memor
, OF watch. he probably thought, would d
Nith him arc likely to BE remembered Q
long as the English language is SPOKEN I!
any quarter OF the globe"
The Juggling power Of marks Of punctur
ton has often been used 70 produce a com
effect The schooiboy changes Hamlet