Lewis Thomas explains very well how to use basic punctuation that people often use incorrectly. In some cases he gives the history of the use of that punctuation mark and then he also shows ways to use it correctly and incorrectly. This is a really effective way to explain things.
Despite how well he explained things, I couldn't help being annoyed by Thomas. Even when he said things in a joking way it stuck me as condescending and made him come off as pretty pretentious. The way he wrote the piece was pretty elitist and just annoyed me. It’s hard to explain. (Maybe I am easily annoyed?)
I don't think I agree that exclamation points are always a bad thing, although they should definitely be used sparingly. He makes a good point when he says that adding an exclamation point to a banal sentence makes it more banal! They shouldn't be used in formal writing, but in creative writing (especially in dialogue) they could help get your point or a character's point across. I disagree that they ruin poetry....
I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you—Nobody—Too?
Then there's a pair of us!
Don't tell! they'd advertise—you know!
How dreary—to be—Somebody!
How public—like a Frog—
To tell one's name—the livelong June—
To an admiring Bog!
-Emily Dickinson
one of my favorite poems.
My sophomore year in high school we read Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes. One of the main things we talked about was his use of punctuation. At the beginning, when the main character is very young, he hardly uses any formal punctuation or capitalization. As the character gets older, the punctuation is more sophisticated.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Your points about the dash are well taken. Certainly they can be overused in prose, but poetry uses an entirely different set of rules. Those rules are that there are no rules. I think what makes Dickinson and others so effective is that they simply pour their soul out on paper, not bothering with silly rules. Perhaps not silly rules, but unnecessary rules for poetry.
Post a Comment