Let There Be Dark Rhetorical Analysis

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As society continuously expands, building new structures, light pollution becomes increasingly problematic. Paul Bogard addresses this problem and argues against the increasing light pollution in his writing, “Let There Be Dark.” Through his use of the ethos and pathos, Bogard attempts to persuade his audience of the beauty of natural darkness. Bogard first introduces his argument through ethos, using an anecdote to establish his credibility among readers. In his anecdote, Bogard recounts how the night sky looked when he was away from the city’s lights. In sharing this experience, Bogard opens up to his audience, allowing them to trust his viewpoint to a certain degree. Furthermore, his use of personal pronouns, such as “I” or “We” strengthens …show more content…

In his emotional appeal, Bogard primarily uses diction to create a subtle emotional feeling within his audiences. Using strong phrases such as “bulldozer” or “wrecking habitats and disrupting ecosystems” in describing light pollution, he is able to mold the reader’s feelings into having a negative opinion towards this problem, whether the reader is conscious of it or not. However, when discussing natural darkness, he uses lighter phrases such as “beauty” or “irreplaceable value” that capture his reader’s hearts and assists in convincing them of preserving the darkness. Moreover, personal pronouns continue to come in play as they provide the emotional connection with the audience. By using the pronouns such as “we” or “our,” Bogard goes beyond making this a personal problem and demonstrates it as a problem that everyone shares. He makes his audience become involved as he reveals the detrimental impact light pollution has on them and their environment. By doing so, his audience can be more easily persuaded to share his viewpoint as they do not want to agree to anything that can harm them or their children. Through his use of pathos, Bogard links his audience to his viewpoint, persuading them of the beauty of the world through their emotions. In conclusion, Bogard

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