Communication

This morning I read In Praise of the Humble Comma by Pico Iyer. I enjoy his descriptive writing, which is on the importance of punctuation. The essay gives a poetic side to punctuation, unlike I have ever read before. He uses many metaphors and examples throughout the essay. I particularly like the metaphor relating punctuation to the rhythm of our hearts. With this metaphor, the writer relates our voices to that of a music sheet. Pico states, "Punctuation is the notation in the sheet music of our words, telling us when to rest, or when to raise our voices;" I believe this is true, because the tone of voice we use, shows our emotion. Pico also describes punctuation as "a matter of care" and "a labor of love". These two comparisons tell me, that the author has a passion for writing. He wants to share with the readers, the love and care he has for words. I know for me after reading this essay, I look at punctuation differently. I view it with more importance, and deeper in thought. We are social beings and our communication with one another tells a story. If it be what we had for dinner or how we feel, it is a story none the less. I feel impressed to rethink how I write, what I write, and why I write. For me, the use of commas is my greatest weakness. I know now though, the use of them goes deeper than the paper they are written or not written on!!! However, it is my goal, to strive on the improvement of this writing flaw. I cannot imagine reading words without punctuation. How would I be able to detect the emotion being given by the speaker? This is just one example, of how I take punctuation for granted. I encourage everyone, to rethink on how our words are written with punctuation. Our words tell a story, and punctuation shows the emotion behind our words.