What I learned about my writing by seeing only the punctuation

October 8, 2021 10:25 AM

Just the Punctuation is an online tool that strips everything except punctuation from plain text and arranges the result.
posted by eotvos (32 comments total)

– – – . – , – , – – – – – – – , – – – – – – – – ' – ' –

Emily Dickinson, "Because I could not stop for Death"
posted by lumensimus at 10:38 AM on October 8, 2021 [4 favorites]

Does it also provide the Morse code translation?
posted by Gelatin at 10:42 AM on October 8, 2021 [3 favorites]

: , , , , ' , ' , , , , ' : , , , , , , , , , , , , - , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ; , , , , . , , , , , , , , , , , - , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ; , , , : ' , . ' , , , , ' , ' ; , , ' . , , . , . . . . ' , , , . . . . . , , ' , , , , , , , , , , , , , ; , , , , , , , ; , , , - . , , , , , , , , - , ' , ' , & . , , ' , ' , , & . , , . , , , , , , ' . ' , ' , , , , , , , , , . . , , , , , ; , , , , , ; , , ; , , , , , . ' , , ; , , . . , , , , ' , , , , , , ; , , , , , , , , : , , ; ' , , , , , , , , , , ' , , , ' . . , , , , ' ( , ' ) , , , , ; , , ' . . , ( ) . , , , . , , , ; , , . . ' , , ; , , , , , . . , , , ( , ) , , , ( , , , , , , , , , , , ) - ' , , ' , , , . . , ' , , ; , ' , . . ' , ; , , ' , . . ' , , , ' ' , ' ; , , , . , , ' , , : , , , , , , ' ' ; ' , ' ; ' , , , . . , , , , , , ; , , . . , , ; . . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . . , ; , ' , . . , , , , , ' ; , , , , , , ; , , , . . , , , , ' , ' ; , ; . , , , . . - , , ' : , ' , , , ; , - . . , , , , . . , , , , , : ' . , , , , . . - , , ' ; , , ' ' . . , , . . , , , , , ; . , . . , , , , ' ; , ' , ' ; ' , ' , , . . , , ; , , , . . , , ; ( ) ' , , ; , , , . . , ; ' , ' . . , , , , , . . ' , ' - , , , , ; , , , ' , : , , , . . , , , , . , , , , , , , . . , , & . , & . , & . , ' , . . , , , , , , , , , , ' ; , , , ' , : , , ' , , . . , , , , . . , , , , , , , , . , , , & . , ' ' , . . , , - ' , , , , : - , ' . . , , , , ' , , , - ' , , ; , - ' , , ' , , ' , ' , ' , , , , , . ' , , ' , , , , ' . ' , , , , ; , ' , , , ' . . , , , ; , . . , , , , , ; . , : . , , , , , , ' . : , , , , , , , ' . , , & . - , & . , , & . , & . , & . , - ' , , & . , & . , & . , & . , & . - ' , & . , & . , , & . , & . , & . , & . , . . , , , , , , ( , , , , , , ) ' ' , . . , ' , . . , , , ' , , , , . ' , ' . . ' , , ' ; , , , , , . . ' , , , ' ; ( , ) ' ' , ' : ' , , ' , . . , , , ' . ; , ' . . , , , , ' , , , , , , , , , , , , ' , , , , , ' ; , ' ; , , : , . . , , , , , , : ; ' , , . . , , , , ' . , , , ' : , . , , , ' , . . , ' , , ; , , , , , , , . . ' , , ' , , ' , ' , , , , , , , ' , , , ' . . , ' , , ; , , , , . . , , , . , , , , ; , , ; ' , , . . , : , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ; , , ' ' , , ( , , , , , & . ) , , , , & . . , , , , , ' , , , , , ( ) ' , . . , , , , , , , , , , , ; , , , , , . . , ' , , , , , , , , ; , , : ' , ; . . , , ' , , , , , ; , , - ' , ; , , ' , . . ' , ' , ; ' - , , - ' . ' , , , . , , , - . . , , , , ; , ; . , , , , . - , , , , , . , , , , . . 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' ; , , , ; ' , , ' ; - , - , - ' , , , , , , . . , , , ; , , , , , , , , , ' , ' , , : , , , , , , , , ' . , , , ' , , , ' . . , , ' , ' , , , ; , , , ' ' , ' ; . . , , - ' , , , , , , , , , ; , , ' , , , , ' ' , ' ; , , , - ' ' , . . , ' , , , , , ' , . , : , , , , , , , ; , , ' , , , . , , , , , , : . , , , , , , , , ' , , , , . . , , ' , ; ( ) , , ( ) , ; , . . , , , , ' , , , . . , , , , , , , , ' , , , , , , , . , , , , , , , . , , , , ; , ; , , , , ; , , . . , , , , , . . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ; , , , , , , , , , , : , , , , , , . . , , ' , ' , . . , , , , , ; ' . , , , , . . : , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ' , ' ; , ' , . . , , , , , , , , ' ; , ; , , , : , - ( ) ; , , , ' . . , , , , , , , ' , ' ; , : , . . , ' , : , ' , ' , , , ' , ' ' , , ; ' ' - . . , ' , , , , : . . , ' ' ' . , ; , . . ' , - , , , , ; , , ' , ' ; , , , , , ' : - , . . ' , , , ; , , . . , - , - , - , . , , , , , , , , , , , , . . , , , , , , . , , , , , , , ; , , , , , - , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . . , , , , - , ; : , , , ; , , . , , , , , , : , , , , ; , , . . , , , , , , ' , , , , , , ' , ; , ' , , , , , , , , , ' . . , , , , ; ' , . . , , , , , ; , . . , , , , , ; , , , ' , ; , ' , , . , , , . . , , , , , . ' , . . , ' , , , ' , ' ; , , , , ' : , . , , , , . . , , , - , ' , , , , , ' . . , , , . . , , . , ' ; , . ' , , : , , , , ' , , . , , , , , ' ; , , : , , , , , , , , ; , ; ' , ' , ; , , ' , ' , , ' ' , ' . . , , , , , . ' ' ; ' , ' , , ; , , , , , . . , , , , . . , , , . , , , , , , , ' , ' ; , , , , , , , . , ; , . . , , , , ' , , , , , , ' ' , ' ; , : - , , . . , , , , ' , , . . , , , ' , , , , . . ' ' , , ; ' , ' . , , , , ; , , : , , ' ' . . , , , , , ; ' , ' . . ' , , ' , - , ; , , , . , , , , ' , , , , ' . . ' , ' ( ) . , ' , , , , , , , . , ( , , , ) , ' , , , ; , . . , , , , , , , ' , , , , , ' , , , , , , , , , ' , ' . . , , , , ; . . , , , ' , , ' . . , ' , , ' , ' , , , , , , , , , ' . . , , , , , , ' ' , , , , , ' ; ' , , , : , , , , , ( - ) , , ' . , , ' ; , . , , , , . , . . ' , , , . . , , , ' ; , . ' , ' , , , , . . ' , , , , , ; , , . , ; ' , , , , . . ' , , , , ' , ( ' ) . . , , , ; , , , . , , ' , ' ; , , , . . , , ' ; , . . , , , , , , , , , ; , , ' , . . , ' , , ; , , : ' , ' , , , . . ' , ' , , , , , , , , , , , , , ' , , , , , , , , , , , , . , , , . , , , , , ; , ' . . , , ' , , , , , ' , ; , , . . , ' , ; , , , . . , , ' ' ' , , ' ' ' ; , , ' , : ; ' , , . ' , , , . . ' , ' ; ' , , , , ' . . ' , , ' . , , ' . . , , , ; , ' . , , . . , , , , , , , ( , ' , ' ) . , , ; , , ; , , , . , . , , ' ; . , ; . , ; . , ' ; . , , - ; . , - , ; . , . . - ; , . . , - . , . , . . . , . , . , . , . , , ; ' ' , ' ' , , , , : , , ' , ' ' ; , ' . , ' , , .

(The Treaty of Westphalia)
posted by emelenjr at 10:44 AM on October 8, 2021 [24 favorites]

I overuse semicolons; I knew that already.
posted by ook at 10:51 AM on October 8, 2021 [14 favorites]

(This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams)
posted by chavenet at 11:00 AM on October 8, 2021 [17 favorites]

I don't need to use this because I already know I really--and I mean really--like em dashes. Also "scare" quotes.
posted by mark k at 11:01 AM on October 8, 2021 [5 favorites]

what have you done, eotvos??

now every punctuation crank on MeFi will alight on this thread and victimize us all with their schtick
posted by elkevelvet at 11:01 AM on October 8, 2021 [3 favorites]

!!!
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:06 AM on October 8, 2021 [3 favorites]

Kzinti speak in a hissing language called the Hero's Tongue, which in its written form resembles commas and periods.

[emphasis mine]
posted by The Tensor at 11:11 AM on October 8, 2021 [2 favorites]

My silly experiments: Les Misérables in English and French - the dashes are probably mostly from the old fashioned English habit of abbreviating names, but the rest of it is less aligned than one might expect. Lincoln vs. Trump, which are rather similar. And my last grant proposal, which shows only slightly fewer nesting brackets than I'd have expected.
posted by eotvos at 11:58 AM on October 8, 2021

, " " " " . , . , ( ) . ( ) , ( ) , , . [ ] , " , , ; , , . , . " [ ] , . : " , , " ( ) , " : , " ( ) ; " " ( ) " , , " ( , , ) . [ ] , . , , , . ' ( ' ) , ( ) , . . . . - . . . " " . " " , " " . . — — , — — , . , . . , , . . , , . [ ] , . [ ] – , , – , , ( ) . ( , ) . . ( ) . . [ ] [ ] , . , — — ( ) ( ) — — . : ' . , ' ( ) ( ) : – ( ) ; – ( ) ; – ( ) . [ ] , ( ) , , . ( . - ) , — — [ ] — — ( ) . , , . , - . , , . . , , . [ ] . , , , ( , , ) , ( ) . , , ( . - ) , . - . – . – - , , . . [ ] , ( ) — — ( ) — — ' : , , . , - , - ( ) , . . . , , . , , . , , [ ] , , , , . / ( ) . [ ] ( ) . , , ( ) . - . , " . " [ ] , , . , , . , : , . . ( ) , , , . , . [ ] , " , " . [ ] ' : , , ' . ' , ; , ; ; , . [ ] . , . - , : ; , . [ ] - , : , . , , , . , , ; , , , . . [ ] [ ] . , ( ' " ) . , , ( - ) , — — ) . - , . ' ( ! ) ; . , . ( ) , . ( , , ' , . ) . , , - . , . , . , ( @ ) ( @ $ . ) , " " . ( ~ ) , , , @ . : , , : . , . , , . , , . ; , , , , . [ ] [ ] . " " . . : , , , , . . . : " " – ( ) ( ) . . . , , : . ( , " " , , - ; ) . , : ; ? ! . , : . , , , ( ) . , , , . . ( ) , . . , ; ~ , . , , — — — — : , : . ; - . , , , , ? . , . , , , . , , . , . [ ] , , ; , . , : - . , . / - / = . , . / - . / = . , , . . : , . ( ) , , . , . [ ] " " , ' ( " ' " , ) . [ ] : [ ] " " " " ( ' : ' ( ) . ) " " ( ' : ' ( ) . ) " " ( : ( ) . ) " " ( ' : ' ( ) . ) " " ( ' : ' ( ) . ) " " ( : ( ) . ) " " , " " . , ( ) , [ ] : " " " " . , . , , . . [ ] . [ ] , , , , , , , , , ,
posted by sammyo at 12:02 PM on October 8, 2021 [3 favorites]

I think that may be valid lisp in some dialects...
posted by sammyo at 12:03 PM on October 8, 2021 [9 favorites]

Some C++ code I'm working on right now:

: : ( , , , , ) { = ( & _ ) ! = ; ( < | | < ) { ; } = ( _ = = _ ) ; ( ) ; ( ! ) { ( ) ; } = ( _ , ) ; . ( ) ; ( = = " " & & ! = _ ) ; ; . _ = ; = ( ( , _ , & ) ! = ) ; = & & ( . _ = = _ ) ; ( ! & & ( _ ) ) { = ( _ , ) ; . ( ) ; ( ! . ( ) ) { = ; } } ( ) { _ : ( ! ) { ( ( ) ) ; / / . . . ( ! ) { ( , ) ; ; } / / . . . . = ( ) - ; ( = ; < ; + + ) { ( = = ) ; = ( _ , ) ; . ( ) ; ( = = ) { ( , ) ; ; } } ( ) { ( , , ( & _ ) ! = ) ; } ; } _ : ( _ = = _ & & ) { ; } _ : _ : _ : ( ! ) { ( , ) ; } ; _ : ( ) { ( , ) ; } { ( ! ) { ( , , _ ) ; } ( ) { ( , , ( & _ ) ! = ) ; } } ; _ : ( ) { ( ( ) ) { ( , , ) ; ( , ) ; } { ( , , ) ; ( ) { ( , , ( & _ ) ! = ) ; } } } ; _ : ( ! ) { : : < > = { " " , " " , " . . " } ; ( , , ) ; } ; } }

And an XML file with test data:

< ? = " . " = " - " = " " ? > < : = " : / / . . / / - " > < ! - - : , , , - - > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > _ . < / > < > \ _ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > - - . < / > < > \ - - . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > _ . < / > < > \ _ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > _ . < / > < > \ _ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > _ . < / > < > \ _ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > _ . < / > < > \ _ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < > < > . < / > < > \ . < / > < / > < / >
posted by Foosnark at 12:10 PM on October 8, 2021 [6 favorites]

I feel that a Hemingway chapter would look like the inevitable comment on the blue after an FPP about a plane crash:

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:38 PM on October 8, 2021 [9 favorites]

My usual writing process is to type up a few paragraphs then go back and remove about half of the commas. And usually I still have too many commas.
posted by AndrewStephens at 1:28 PM on October 8, 2021 [2 favorites]

, — — , , . , , , . , , . " ! " , . . — — — — . . " ! " . , — — . , . " ' , " . . " ' . — — . " , . ' , , , . ' . ' . . . " ? " . " . ? " " - . " - , . ' . " , , — — . — — " , . , " — — , , . " — — - - — — . . . ' , — — . . . , , . ' . , — — . " ? " " , . , . — — , , ' . . " — — ' . ' . " ' , . " " , " , , . - . ' , ' . , , . . " ? " . " , , " - - , " , … " ' . " ? " " . " , ' . " ? ! ! " " , , " . , . " , " , . " ? ? " " — — . . " , . ' . " , . " . " — — — — , ? " " , " . " , . " ' . , . ' . , ' . " , " , . . . " … ? " , . " — — ' , ' . " ' . ' ' , — — . ' , . . , . " ' . " . , . . " , ? " , . — — ' ? , . . " ' , , ? " . " , — — , . " - . " - , . " " , " . . " ' ? " . " , — — , - . " " . " " . " " ' ' . " , ' . — — ' . ' . " , " . " , , , - , — — . . " . " , ' . " , . " . ' . " ' ' . , . . " ? " , . " . . , — — - , . " ' - — — . " . ' . " , — — , ' - . . , . . , ' ? ' , , . , ' . " ? " . , " ? . , . " , — — . ? " ? " ' . " , — — ' . " . " , ? " . , , . " , , " , . " . " , ? , , . " ! " . , . " , ! " , — — . — — , , - - - . . , , . ' . , - . , , — — . . . " , . ", — — . . " , , . " . ? , , , . " — — . " — — ' . " — — , . , " . . " , , ' — — " , . " . " . , ' - . ? ? — — , . ' ' ' , ' . ' — — ' . . " , " , - . . " ? " . " , " . — — , , . , , ' . " , . " , . — — - .

The first couple pages of my current story. Why yes, I do write about awkward teenagers stumbling over themselves and so use more em-dashes than quotation marks, why do you ask?
posted by Quasirandom at 1:42 PM on October 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

Anger Management for Dummies:

(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
posted by freecellwizard at 2:16 PM on October 8, 2021 [4 favorites]

If these are “gorgeous graphics”, I’d hate to see what this writer thinks is dull or ugly.
posted by Ideefixe at 2:26 PM on October 8, 2021

I like this.

Paragraph of a book introduction I've just written - this version was still in draft, which explains the [?] and [ / ? ].

, , . . , , , . . ' . " " , " " , " - " . " " " " ' . , , [ ? ] . ' – ' , ' – - . ' ( , ) , . ( ; ) , . " - " ( , ) " ' - " ( , ) . ' ' ; . ' , . [ / ? ]

And a 1940s review of the book:

( , , ? ) , , ( ' ! ) . ( ) , , , , . – !
posted by paduasoy at 3:04 PM on October 8, 2021

Fun fact: you can use this transform in canary log analysis. Very few system log events vary in their use of punctuation, even if the rest of the text varies.

It's also presumably effective at detecting your roommate turning in a copy of your essay after several uses of a thesaurus.
posted by pwnguin at 3:29 PM on October 8, 2021 [2 favorites]

Gettysburg address, abridged:

, , .

, , . . , . .

, , -- -- -- . , , , ,. , , . , , . -- -- -- -- , , , .

That last paragraph, with the em-dashes ("we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground") and the flanking commas ("government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish" looks like a minimalist ASCII sketch of two beavers.

I find this whole thing curious. In ninth grade (first year of secondary school) we studied The Merchant of Venice. As an assignment, we had to memorize the "quality of mercy is not strained" speech, including every bit of punctuation. My same-aged cousins across town were studying the same play and they had no such assignment. It may have just been a streak of sadism on the part of Mrs. Wood.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:39 PM on October 8, 2021 [2 favorites]

Upon seeing this post I knew that we could use some direction from Richard Brautigan. The book is A Confederate General From Big Sur, his second book but his first book published.

The following is excerpted from the chapter entitled The Rivets in Ecclesiastes.
I was, of course, reading Ecclesiastes at night in a very old Bible that had heavy pages. At first I read it over and over again every night, and then I read it once every night, and then I began reading just a few verses every night, and now I was just looking at the punctuation marks.

Actually I was counting them, a chapter every night. I was putting the number of punctuation marks down in a notebook, in neat columns. I called the notebook ‘The Punctuation Marks in Ecclesiastes.’ I thought it was a nice title. I was doing it as a kind of study in engineering.

Certainly before they build a ship they know how many rivets it takes to hold the ship together and the various sizes of the rivets. I was curious about the number of rivets and the sizes of those rivets in Ecclesiastes, a dark and beautiful ship sailing on our waters.

A summary of my little columns would go something like this: the first chapter of Ecclesiastes has 57 punctuation marks and they are broken down into 22 commas, 8 semicolons, 8 colons, 2 question marks and 17 periods.

The second chapter of Ecclesiastes has 103 punctuation marks and they are broken down into 45 commas, 12 semicolons, 15 colons, 6 question marks and 25 periods.

The third chapter of Ecclesiastes has 77 punctuation marks and they are broken down into 33 commas, 21 semicolons, 8 colons, 3 question marks and 12 periods.

The fourth chapter of Ecclesiastes has 58 punctuation marks and they are broken down into 25 commas, 9 semicolons, 5 colons, 2 question marks and 17 periods.

The fifth chapter of Ecclesiastes has 67 punctuation marks and they are broken down into 25 commas, 7 semicolons, 15 colons, 3 question marks and 17 periods.

And this is what I was doing by lantern light at Big Sur, and I gained a pleasure and an appreciation by doing this. Personally I think the Bible gains by reading it with a lantern. I do not think the Bible has ever truly adjusted to electricity.

By lantern light, the Bible shows its best. I counted the punctuation marks in Ecclesiastes very carefully so as not to make a mistake, and then I blew the lantern out.
posted by dancestoblue at 7:27 PM on October 8, 2021 [5 favorites]

An entire programming language made up of just symbols and punctuation

Oh, you mean like Javascript?

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(you can prefix that lot with javascript: and save it as a bookmark and it will work)
posted by flabdablet at 3:22 AM on October 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

I couldn’t bear to put the things I write into this tool. I’m an English graduate turned management consultant. It would be a flow of too many semi-colons that abruptly morph into nothing but bullet points.
posted by Probabilitics at 3:50 AM on October 9, 2021 [2 favorites]

Another reminder that some people really love their brackets. They fill them up with em-dashes, question marks, exclamation points, and semicolons. Semicolons! I'm always dubious when I run across brackets in the first two pages of a book and while my wife might laugh at me, I stand by my TTP (Time To Parenthetical) rating.
posted by flyingfox at 11:24 AM on October 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

TTP is probably an even better rating system (and certainly more efficient) than my Ninja Replacement Score, which is the number of characters that it would improve the story if they were replaced by ninjas. A low NRS is better, naturally.

(The best NRS I've met is Journey to the West, where there are only four characters who aren't already functionally as awesome as ninjas, and one of them is San Zang and replacing him means no story -- the other three are the only three female characters who aren't either a) evil spirits out to take San Zang's primal masculinity, b) out exact revenge of some sort, or c) a Bodhisattva.)

(But I digress.)
posted by Quasirandom at 12:34 PM on October 9, 2021

I love flowers I’d love to have the whole place swimming in roses God of heaven there’s nothing like nature the wild mountains then the sea and the waves rushing then the beautiful country with fields of oats and wheat and all kinds of things and all the fine cattle going about that would do your heart good to see rivers and lakes and flowers all sorts of shapes and smells and colours springing up even out of the ditches primroses and violets nature it is as for them saying there’s no God I wouldn’t give a snap of my two fingers for all their learning why don’t they go and create something I often asked him atheists or whatever they call themselves go and wash the cobbles off themselves first then they go howling for the priest and they dying and why why because they’re afraid of hell on account of their bad conscience ah yes I know them well who was the first person in the universe before there was anybody that made it all who ah that they don’t know neither do I so there you are they might as well try to stop the sun from rising tomorrow the sun shines for you he said the day we were lying among the rhododendrons on Howth head in the grey tweed suit and his straw hat the day I got him to propose to me yes first I gave him the bit of seedcake out of my mouth and it was leapyear like now yes 16 years ago my God after that long kiss I near lost my breath yes he said was a flower of the mountain yes so we are flowers all a woman’s body yes that was one true thing he said in his life and the sun shines for you today yes that was why I liked him because I saw he understood or felt what a woman is and I knew I could always get round him and I gave him all the pleasure I could leading him on till he asked me to say yes and I wouldn’t answer first only looked out over the sea and the sky I was thinking of so many things he didn’t know of Mulvey and Mr Stanhope and Hester and father and old captain Groves and the sailors playing all birds fly and I say stoop and washing up dishes they called it on the pier and the sentry in front of the governors house with the thing round his white helmet poor devil half roasted and the Spanish girls laughing in their shawls and their tall combs and the auctions in the morning the Greeks and the Jews and the Arabs and the devil knows who else from all the ends of Europe and Duke street and the fowl market all clucking outside Larby Sharans and the poor donkeys slipping half asleep and the vague fellows in the cloaks asleep in the shade on the steps and the big wheels of the carts of the bulls and the old castle thousands of years old yes and those handsome Moors all in white and turbans like kings asking you to sit down in their little bit of a shop and Ronda with the old windows of the posadas glancing eyes a lattice hid for her lover to kiss the iron and the wineshops half open at night and the castanets and the night we missed the boat at Algeciras the watchman going about serene with his lamp and O that awful deepdown torrent O and the sea the sea crimson sometimes like fire and the glorious sunsets and the figtrees in the Alameda gardens yes and all the queer little streets and pink and blue and yellow houses and the rosegardens and the jessamine and geraniums and cactuses and Gibraltar as a girl where I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put the rose in my hair like the Andalusian girls used or shall I wear a red yes and how he kissed me under the Moorish wall and I thought well as well him as another and then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down Jo me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes.

The punctuation only version:

.
posted by kersplunk at 2:54 PM on October 9, 2021 [4 favorites]

I do not even remotely understand how that works as legit JS code

Piece by piece by incredibly ugly piece.
posted by flabdablet at 10:19 PM on October 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

MetaFilter: a minimalist ASCII sketch of two beavers
posted by chavenet at 2:46 AM on October 10, 2021 [3 favorites]

.
posted by Gomez_in_the_South at 9:40 AM on October 10, 2021 [1 favorite]

I don't need to use this because I already know I really--and I mean really--like em dashes.

If you like em dashes so much, why do you use two hyphens instead?
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 5:34 PM on October 10, 2021 [1 favorite]

That is quite possibly the most Metafilter gotcha I've ever seen. Well played.
posted by flabdablet at 1:43 AM on October 11, 2021 [2 favorites]