Interesting discussion of the semicolon and its merits (or lack thereof):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/04/france.britishidentity/print
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It is possible, by observing and reflecting on our actions, to make a description of the tacit knowing implicit in them.
- Donald Schon
- Donald Schon
2 comments:
Interesting article, indeed.
I don't know about the history of language and writing instruction in France, but I am familiar with North American historical trends - and they have certainly not been friendly to such stylish punctuators as the semicolon.
See, the trend towards correctness in language over the last century has necessarily overlooked non-quantifiable aspects of style. Unfortunately, when correctness is valourized, the semi-colon as subtle thought-connector (i.e., Money is power; money is greed.) becomes subordinated to the more straightforward – more accurate? – structures like the comma + coordinating conjunction (i.e., Money is power, but money is also greed.) or the simple period (i.e., Money is power. Money is greed.).
In high school, I was instructed to ignore the semi-colon altogether (which also meant avoiding complicated lists) in order to ensure that I didn’t accidentally make a grammatical error or stylistic mistake (those “awk” moments) when trying out this stylistic device. My teachers, following 19th century tradition, valued correctness over style; they discouraged students from playing with language, taking risks, trying on voices, and testing rhetorical approaches in general.
I’d say that the loss of the semi-colon is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to seeing how this obsession with correctness (aka current-traditional rhetoric) has affected the ways we communicate today.
To make a case for “bringing back” the semicolon is to make a case for teaching rhetoric in all its complexity.
Stephanie Bell
Indeed, Steph. The obsession with correctness has probably scared some writers into avoiding the semicolon altogether.
I also think the semicolon has been unfairly maligned as the enemy of brevity.
That said, I laughed out loud when Vonnegut characterized them as "travestite hermaphrodites."
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