In the chapters on the infinitive phrase and the participial phrase, we discussed those phrases used independently, that is, thrown loosely into the sentence and forming no part of its structure, as in the following sentences,—“It will then, to borrow the elegant language of the play-bills, be withdrawn to make room for the forthcoming novelties.”—Macaulay. “There is no custom that can, properly speaking, be final.”—Carlyle.
Besides phrases of these kinds, there are several other varieties of independent elements that are commonly used and form very interesting material in the sentence. Their function is often an important one, and they could not be dispensed with without necessitating a very roundabout and clumsy form of expression. Some of these elements are single words, some are phrases, and some are propositions, both independent in structure and dependent.
Words used Independently.—I. The noun of address.—This is used in two ways:
(a) In oral or written conversation or formal address, where the name of the person spoken is used, either to invite his attention or for the sake of courtesy; as, “Upon my life, Mr. Caudle, that’s very cool.”—Jerrold.
(b) In more or less impassioned composition, often poetry or oratory, where the person or thing spoken about is addressed as if actually present and capable of understanding the address. Such an address has the nature of an explanation. It forms the figure of speech called apostrophe; as,—
“O star of strength. I see thee stand
And smile upon my pain.”—Longfellow.
2. We also have the noun used independently by pleonasm, that is, either for emphasis or to call the reader’s attention to the subject that is to be talked about; as, “The birds that come about one’s door in winter or that build in his trees in summer, what a peculiar interest they have.”—Burroughs. The base of this independent element is the noun birds; the element is long because of the two restrictive adjective clauses modifying birds.
Often this independent noun is introduced by as for or as to; thus, “As for the boy, he turned up after a while as a constant guest.”—Howells. The words as for indicate that the boy had already been the subject of discourse in some previous sentence.
3. The words well, now, why often begin a sentence. They may indicate the writer’s state of mind, his attitude toward what he is going to say, also the tone, whether of conviction, remonstrance, surprise, or deliberation, with which the sentence should be read; as, “Why, let him go home in the rain, to be sure.”—Jerrold. “Now, the capitalists were men of understanding and wise in their generation.”—Bellamy.