“The semicolon is frequently considered to be the greatest of the punctuation marks, primarily due to its supposed ability to encompass all other punctuation in one simple yet elegant symbol.”

Definition: A punctuation mark (;) indicating a more pronounced pause than that indicated by a comma. Semicolons are used to bind two interlinking sentences together – more closely than if they had be separated by a full period but not as much as with a simple comma. They are never followed by an uppercase letter, unless that letter begins a proper noun.

History: The semicolon was first utilized by an Italian printer named Aldus Manutius the elder. He used it to separate words that were “opposed in meaning” and to distinguish between detached statements. (His work is on the right.) However, the semicolon was not introduced into the English language until the at least 1560. The earliest general use of the semicolon in the English language was in 1591 and Ben Jonson was the first notable English writer to systematically use semicolons. Shakespeare used them widely in his sonnets. A good example follows:

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask’d, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

By the time the 18th century rolled around, the semicolon was widely used and understood in Europe. In this day and age, semicolons are extremely important in the computer programming industry because depending on the program used they may be used to separate multiple statements on one line, after every statement or to mark the beginning of comments.

Applications:

…A rule that is easy to remember pertaining to the use of semicolons :)
**As a general rule of thumb, the clause on either side of the semicolon should be able to stand on its own as a separate, free-standing sentence: for example, using the sentence below…
“I wanted to be an astronaut when I was little; the stars always fascinated me.”
…on either side of the semi colon are complete sentences:
“I wanted to be an astronaut when I was little.”
“The stars always fascinated me.”

Semicolons are used often to circumvent the need to add a conjunction such as and or but, and are often used to prevent ‘run-on’ sentences.

Specific Instances of Application:

1. Semicolons are used to link two independent clauses with no connecting words. For example:
"I wanted to be an astronaut when I was little; I loved the idea of walking on the moon!"

2. Semicolons can be used to separate introductory words (for instance, namely, however, therefore, that is). For example:
“I wanted to be an astronaut when I was little and bring many things on board the space shuttle; for example, gummi bears, my dog Ellie, a camera, and my stuffed animal.

3. They are used to separate units of a series that contain one or more comma, for example listings of towns along with the states in which they reside:
“I have lived in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania; Orange County, California; Glen Mills, Pennsylvania; and Karlsruhe, Germany.”

This rule is used because to say that “I lived in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, Orange County, California, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania and Karlsruhe, Germany” is confusing – it is unclear that the towns and the state/country in which they reside go together.

For Extra Semicolon Practice Take The Quizzes Located on These Websites:

http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar_quiz/semicolons_and_colons_1.asp
http://www.dailygrammar.com/381to385.shtml

Other Useful Websites About Semicolons:

http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/semicolon/examples.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5955_semicolon.html

Bibliography:
“Commas vs. Semicolons in Compound Sentences.” OWL: Online Writing Lab. 2004. Perdue University. 28 November 2008 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_commacomp.html.
“History.” 2005. November 30 2008. http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/semicolon/history.html.
“Semicolon.” AskOxford.com. 2008. 28 November 2008 http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/semicolon?view=uk.
“Semicolons.” The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation. 30 November 2008 <http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/semicolons.asp>.
“Semicolons Have an Interesting History.” November 30 2008 http://www.auburn.edu/academic/liberal_arts/english/ec/resources/pot8.htm.
“Semicolon – History.” Global Oneness: Co-creating a Happy World. 30 November 2008 http://www.experiencefestival.com/semicolon_-_history.
“Shakespeare + Poetry = Sonnets.” 2005. 30 November 2008 http://www.semicolonblog.com/?p=656.