Disclaimer: English teachers, please be kind to me and don’t take me to task for speaking outside my area of expertise.
A comma is the pause that refreshes, anticipation of what will be said next, another side of an issue, and a means to separate words and ideas giving equal weight to each. A well-placed comma is a tool making good writing successful. It enhances the rhythm of verbal communication.
To illustrate, I want to use examples from music.
The comma is much like a rest and musical slur, the phrasing of music. A singer who might not have a fine voice can render a piece of music masterfully with the right delivery. For example, Louis Armstrong’s arrangement and performance of “It’s a Wonderful World” is instantly recognizable and loved by many. It’s not his gravelly voice that grabs us but his conveyance of the tune. Another example is Patsy Cline. The pauses and slurs of “Crazy” or “I Fall to Pieces” are seemingly perfect.
We recognize the longing and despair as a result of her renditions.
Willie Nelson who wrote “Crazy” may not have had the lasting identification that Ms. Cline has had with this song. Dolly Parton gives thanks to Whitney Houston’s version of her song “I Will Always Love You.” Ms. Parton stated, “Whitney is the one who took it worldwide and really made it a household word — or song, I should say — so I’ll always be thankful to her for that.” Dolly Parton recognized the difference Whitney Houston made with a unique delivery of her song.
Speeches are much the same. A speech given without phrasing and pauses is dry and uninteresting. Delivery with pauses, phrasing and eloquence matter. No one can listen to speeches such as Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream or Winston Churchill’s speech given on Aug. 20, 1940, to the House of Commons, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few” without being stirred to depths of the soul.
The speaker must capture us with the brief quiet between phrases and sentences, cadence and power of words. As with a song, I should be inspired and come away with new ideas and thoughts to ponder. If not, I am not empowered to change myself, my community, or my nation.
Good writing captures me as a well-delivered song or speech. The author must hold my interest. The writer must get me to pause, bring anticipation of what is next, allow for time to think, know that there may be another thought to consider, and separate words and ideas for logical learning.
As a student, the English teacher would comment on the side of my paper, “run-on sentence,” “indistinguishable ideas,” or “could have used a comma.”
These teachers wanted me to have the opportunity to express myself, but knew I would not be heard if the writing could not be understood through better delivery.
Commas were a part of this understanding. These teachers wanted me to capture the reader and involve the reader immersing them in new ideas and sparking the imagination. They tried to teach me that strategic comma placement can make this happen.
Libraries seek good writing in a variety of literature, the latest novel, a biography, or informative non-fiction. We read critical book reviews and are readers ourselves. A diverse library staff make recommendations and suggestions for the library collection.
We listen to our patrons who tell us about their latest read. We want the public to be entertained by a good novel and to anticipate the next book by their favorite author.
We are interested in our history, desire to learn about other cultures, and seek to hone our skills or learn a new craft. It’s important for all to read factual information so we may learn. It’s important for us public to be exposed to good writing.
Poplar Bluff Municipal Library is full of pauses, anticipation, differing opinions, words, and ideas. Please check us out.
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Sue Crites Szostak has been the director of the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library since 2013. She got her first library card at the Poplar Bluff library and did her internship there as well. She has worked in libraries for 43 years. Contact her at: szostak@poplarbluff.org