Writing Strategies #4

Pico Iyer relates some forgotten truths about a simple comma, that place it in a whole new light. When examining his essay it is evident that he organized the introduction to each of his paragraphs in a very deliberate way. The first sentence of every paragraph is a short sentence that sums up the point of his previous paragraph. This allows the reader to have a consice summary of one point before moving on to the next one. Iyer uses many colorful illustrations and images to help his readers better grasp the points he is trying to make. One that was particularly effective was the image of the comma giving the world "breadth and heft and depth" in a world of stark periods that have no inflections. Also his comparison of a comma to that of a lover noticing every slight detail of the one he loves gave a clear image of the accomplishments of a comma. A comma tells what the sentance implies, it may seem slight and unnoticable but with it, it communicates so much.