Comma Use For Emphasis, But Not Parenthesis/Introductory Phrases

Question

Hi, I was just wondering, is it acceptable to use commas around phrases which are essential to the meaning of a sentence in order to emphasise them?

If so, is this only applicable in certain situations or is it merely up to the writer when it is used?

Examples:

1: ‘For she is my only ambition, and, for her, I shall craft Elysium.’

2: ‘A porcelain doll, once a mere plaything, and now, the creator of my morbid demise.’

I was also wondering, what exactly counts as an introductory phrase? In each of these instances, I have refrained from using one around ‘To me’ and ‘In my mind’ because I don’t feel like the comma serves any real purpose, but is that correct or not?

1. ‘To me she is a baleful and malicious fiend who has defiled my every callow reverie,’

2. ‘In my mind you are every truth and virtue, the cold that seeps into my frail being,’

Again, is this merely an aspect of grammar which is entirely up to the writer to decide to use or not?

Thanks in advance!

Enoon · Accepted Answer

Commas are a matter of style, not grammar. This word "style" is not the same as the one in "personal style". To say that commas are a matter of style does not mean that a writer is free to put them wherever he feels like as an element of his art (though that is true). It means that they are not a part of the language, as such. They are a necessary evil in writing.

Speech came first, and speech is the language. Writing is secondary to speech. Look at how long it took mankind to come up with writing, and some cultures never did get around to it on their own. To place words in a row is an artificial process, and to read them must be learned consciously. In the process, certain conventions naturally arise, and they become standard by default. The reader comes to expect the capital letters, punctuation, white space, etc., to mean certain things, and he relies upon consistent application of these conventions by the writer. He relies upon a consistent conventional style.

For an anomalous comma to have a desirable effect requires that its placement differ from convention in a planned way. This requires that the writer know conventional punctuation backwards and forwards, and the reader, too, for that matter. When commas are thrown in *****-nilly, the writing seems amateurish, at best.

If you want to learn comma placement, a good place to start would be The Elements of Style, by Strunk & White. Any college writing handbook would take you to the next level, and to become expert, you should study several different style manuals and answer questions in this forum so everybody can tell you when you're wrong, bearing in mind that there are differences between the US and the UK.

Fivejedjon · Answer

I agree with enoon, despite what follows.

As far as speakers of British English are concerned, we are a little more flexible than speakers of American English. We don't always follow Strunk and White! Below I give my opinion. Not only will enoon not agree with some of what follows, but not all speakers of BrE will feel the same as I.

1: ‘For she is my only ambition, and, for her, I shall craft Elysium.’
I know why you have put the comma before 'and'. Were it not for the 'for her', I would probably have done the same. However, separating the 'for her' from the rest with commas, for good reason, makes the comma before 'and' excessive, and I would not use it.

2: ‘A porcelain doll, once a mere plaything, and now, the creator of my morbid demise.’
This is not easy, because it is not a complete sentence. if we make it a complete sentence, I think the following versions are possible:

It was nothing but a porcelain doll, once a mere plaything, and now the creator of my morbid demise.’
It was nothing but a porcelain doll, once a mere plaything and, now, the creator of my morbid demise.’

‘To me she is a baleful and malicious fiend who has defiled my every callow reverie.’
This is fine without a comma after 'To me'. If I add a comma, I am perhaps suggesting that she is not these things to other people. Though 'who has defiled my every callow review' works as a defining relative clause, I think it works better as a non-defining one; I'd therefor put a comma before 'who.

‘In my mind you are every truth and virtue, the cold that seeps into my frail being.
Without a comma I am reporting how you appear in my mind - though in reality you may be something different. The addition of a comma might suggest that you appear differently in other people's minds.

Sailsofoblivion · Answer

Thank you so much, that was very helpful! As for example two, it is the second half of a complete sentance of a poem which reads as:

To me she is a baleful and malicious fiend
Who has defiled my every callow reverie,
A porcelain doll, once a mere plaything,
And now, the creator of my morbid demise.

I had been advised by another helpful member that this punctuation is correct, but I wanted to understand why it's acceptable, with your opinion in mind, it makes perfect sense. Especially with regards to that line working as a defining relative clause. I think I shall keep it as it is, out of respect to the other forum member who originally helped me, but I'm glad to know that either way is acceptable.

For example 4, 'In my mind', I also appreciate the fact that you have told me that the addition of a comma here could potentially change its meaninig.

I think that a lot of my confusion with punctuation lies in the grey areas where more than one way of writing is correct - such as with relative clauses etc. Therefore, I shall make a point of looking up the book which Enoon recommended.

Thanks again!

Fivejedjon · Answer

sailsofoblivionThank you so much

You are most welcome.

Fivejedjon · Answer

sailsofoblivion I shall make a point of looking up the book which Enoon recommended.

That's a good idea. For my British taste, American punctuation rules are too prescriptive but, and it's a big 'but', at least you know where you are with American rules. Our British laid-back approach can appear unhelpful to learners, especially if the punctuation rules in their own language are rigid.

There is also the advantage that learners who follow Strunk and White will not produce written work that appears wrong to British readers, while learners who adopt the British approach may produce written work that appears badly punctuated to American readers.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Here's a cute discussion on just one of the simpler commas:

Comma Use For Emphasis, But Not Parenthesis/Introductory Phrases

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