Imagine each statement in a sequence is a function of the previous state to a subsequent state (+ optionally something extra); and the semicolon is a function o

Imagine each statement in a sequence is a function of the previous state to a subsequent state (+ optionally something extra); and the semicolon is a function of the previous state (+ something extra) and the statement function to the subsequent state (+ something extra). That's a description of the monad pattern in terms of semicolon overloading.