What's the deal about semicolons?

Well, Kurt Vonnegut said not to use them because "they are transvestite herm-aphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college."

While we know they obviously represent something (I use them in school papers frequently) they really aren't very popular.

One obvious source of disdain for the punctuation is the Hemingway Effect. Why use a Semicolon when a period will work? The Hemingway Effect really carries a lot of not so beneficial trends into modern writing. The fact is that Hemingway said a lot by not saying much in a period of history where people weren't saying much as a means of avoiding discussing the horrors which the human race had recently invented. It was common practice to just remain silent, and neutral about things in that day. That gives Hemingway's writing a very profound simplicity. But society is different, and literature will certainly adapt to show that. Assuming of course that Hemingway's ghost stops hanging over keyboards across the nation!

Where am I going with that? Well, to the future. For the past so many years certain conventions have just been accepted and now we are again at a time when things are questioned.

But does this signal the resurgence of the semicolon or other single purpose punctuations in fiction? I doubt it. The semicolon will likely stay an obscure technical mark for academic and professional use, but not routinely found in fiction. It represents an intrusion on the part of the author. See, readers notice semicolons and colons. They don't notice commas or periods. The commas and periods make their point, but the reader doesn't have to stop for them. The colon and semicolon are just odd enough in the fiction format that the reader has to break the literary dream and question why a semicolon was used rather than just a comma or period. And we as writers don't want this to happen.

We can get away with excessive use of commas thanks to the great stream of consciousness movement. Readers generally view them as a pause or conjunction but rarely in the grammar school light. They'll generally just except the author's use of them (Ellis) or lack of use of them (McCarthy) without a second thought about it. It's become the "he said" of punctuation.

The semicolon holds no such benefit. It's a creative deal breaker. It seems stuffy, victorian, and out of date. I think, if I may answer with an opinionated statement, that it's day has come and gone for the most part. It'll be preserved in academic, technical, and professional works but it won't see a great resurgence in creative use unless there is a serious trend change towards direct, and specific language. (Away from the ever popular ambiguous and interpretable.)

That's my meandering take on it.

edit--> (Regarding ck1's add) Oh yes, the comma splice has long been a go to for the creative writer, and the enemy of the grammarian. I don't think there's any question where I stand on commas. I'm a huge comma fan. It works just about anywhere for a variety of different effects. The comma is the blue collar worker of punctuation, it's found in every convention and performing far better then it's being paid to do so. Unlike that stuffy aristocratic semicolon! :P

Interesting question, Dix. I love a good semicolon. They get tossed around in my sentences as much as possible to give them the exercise they wouldn't get otherwise.

As you've pointed out, many people don't use semicolons anymore. The Victorian trend seems to have been to use loads of semicolons to create lengthy run-on sentences. The trend today seems to have changed. Not being one to follow trends, I appreciate both. In either case, unless masterfully done, the writing can seem amateurish.

I confess to having a certain tendency to randomly throw in a bunch of commas, semicolons and colons instead of taking Kabum's excellent advice. (Knowing the rules of punctuation doesn't help if you don't always follow them.)

Hopefully Vet is wrong when he says the semicolon's day is over. It's a good tool. Maybe my opinion is due to being stuffy (well, my nose is, anyway), Victorian (the literature is wonderful) and old fashioned (notice the substitution?).

***Note: Mental Health, huh? That really is funny. Perhaps it's because of some of the insanity (without mentioning anything in particular) that has taken place in B&A in the past year?

***Edit) I do the same thing when a semicolon could have been used instead of several periods. It's a distraction if the flow seems awkward.

As a note, the excessive use of commas was also seen in Victorian literature (though not as stream of consciousness). In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens begins with a paragraph-long sentence, full of commas but no semicolons. It was effective.

***You should have mentioned the aristocratic nature of semicolons before, Vet. If you are right about it, I'd better stick to commas. As an aside, just how much -do- commas make, in round terms? :) ***Thanks for the comma info, Vet. After using them somewhat indiscriminately, perhaps I should add my bit to the "support the comma" fund.

Dix,

I don't understand why they would say 'mental health' hmmm! This has to do with writing. Oh well.

The semicolon is used when a subject and verb express a complete thought, which is called an independent clause. They sometimes stand along in a piece of writing, but there are times when two independent clauses are right smack together. These in turn are called compound sentences. The second sentence is of the same idea as the first sentence, but is simply another thought on the same subject. Thus, a lot of writers use the semicolon instead of a period or a comma.

A period can be used and in some cases a comma. The choice of which one is actually up to the author.

PJ M

Comma (,)

Mental Health wouldn't be such a bad place for this question when it comes to my relationship with the semicolon.

I both respect and admire the little fella. I appreciate its masterful use by others, I pity it when I see it glaringly misused. I do believe that I understand it. I fear, however, that I am starstruck by its unique spot in the punctuation constellation and am rendered shy and insecure when it comes to employing it myself.

Perhaps I fear that I'll appear snobbish, perhaps I fear making a fool of myself and displaying my base ignorance to the world at large. Whatever it may be, some force stays my hand or sends it dashing to the backspace key each time I initially feel emboldened to indulge in a little semicolonization.

Which word, by the way, I was aware did not exist, even without the ever vigilant spellcheck which Y!A is not nearly shy enough about employing, and which is now informing me that I have a lot of punctuation. Imagine what it would think of me had I been sprinkling semicolons around like fairy dust!

***Edit) Funny! I put one in there and then decided that it would be hopelessly inconsistent to actually use any in my answer. Plus, they really do make me nervous, which is why I use commas to excess instead. You've probably noticed that too.

Thank you for recognizing me in spite of Y!A's erratic identification. I take that as high praise indeed.

***Edit) As a reader I have no problem with them. I don't find them distracting at all, but then I've read more than my share of Victorian Lit too. If a contemporary writer's semicolons bother me there are very likely much larger things that bother me more. To be honest though, since answering myself and then reading Vet's answer I've been trying to think of my favorite modern writers and I can't think of a one who is at all disposed to the semicolon.

As a writer I've made myself clear, I think. It isn't only insecurity that holds me back though. I do like tight sentences and clean prose. I would tend to eliminate the sort of sentence that would require extraordinary punctuation. And I will confess that the spectre of Hemingway does loom large in my mind. I'm old enough to maintain my early awe, if only subconsciously.

So, I guess if we're taking sides I'm going to have to line up with Vet, which I'm sure will shock all who are present here.

And I DO love commas!

This discussion is endless you know, and has been going on for some time in all sorts of circles. My only comment is, as with all writing, that unless you use a specific punctuation mark for a good reason, it is better avoided. Just rewrite the sentence!

View some of those "other" discussions here:

http://www.englishforums.com/English/No/3/bcwhh/Po...

In one of them, a suggestion is to pay attention to Victor Borge's "Punctuation," a popular offering at his concerts. I did see it performed live by the great Borge, and wise man that he was, did not even attempt to verbalize the semi-colon. His verbal punctuation system can be heard here:

http://www.kor.dk/borge/b-mus-1.htm

Writing consultant, author, and syndicated columnist, Steve Wilburs points out semi-colon usage as one of his "Avoiding Common Punctuation Errors: The No-Excuse 12" here:

http://www.wilbers.com/punct12.htm

And yes, I DO use them just as you, not in dialogue, but pretty much everywhere else they are needed.

Kabum

Never even thought about it! Interesting question. I just don't seem to feel the need to use it. It is sad the way punctuation is disappearing. I get really annoyed when Yahoo pops up a box telling me I'm using too much when I have more than two commas in a sentence, not to mention trying to use quotation marks! LOL

Semicolons help you connect closely related ideas when a style mark stronger than a comma is needed.

By using semicolons effectively, you can make your writing sound more sophisticated.

When you are that far behind the times [like us], your mental health will always be questioned .... get used to it.

Semicolons are AMAZING!

The reason why you don't see them so much anymore, is because people aren't taught how to use them anymore.

If semicolons ended up in the punctuation graveyard, it would be a sad day for grammar!

Semi-colons are my absolute FAVORITE punctuation mark. I love to use them, and they come in especially handy on essays and term papers. I tend to use them less when writing fiction simply because most people are ignorant about them, and because they're more awkward in fiction than in schoolwork.

I, for one, will continue to forge on with semi-colons. I have no plan to quit using them anytime soon.

Well, that last sentence - perhaps I should be on my way to Mental Health. Or Intermediate Accounting class - I'm off!

lol to mental health

I love semicolons personally because I know how to use them and most others (even professional writers) misuse them CONSTANTLY.

I use semicolons in most of my writing; however, I don't overuse them or use them when writing e-mails.

Plus, they make a cute winky face in text ;-)