Who Is Lord Chesterfield's Letter To His Son

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In the eighteenth-century, Lord Chesterfield, a father, wrote a letter to his son who traveled far from home to deliver fatherly advice. Chesterfield sent this letter to signify his longing to be reunited with his son. In Chesterfield’s letter he uses uneasy diction to declare his advice might not apply to his son, appeals to his ethos, and uses a hopeful tone. Firstly, grasping on the idea of Chesterfield’s uneasy diction, he states, “...I can have no interest but yours in the advice I give you; and that consequently, you will at least weigh and consider it well: in which case, some of it will, I hope, have its effect.” This section of the letter explains Chesterfield is unsure of whether or not his advice will help his son. The phrase he uses that further supports his uneasiness is “you will at least weigh and consider it.” Making sure that Chesterfield’s son will at least take it into …show more content…

Secondly, Chesterfield appeals to credibility in his letter to his son to explain how important it should be to his son stating, “Let my experience supply your want of it, and clear your way, in the progress of your youth, of those thorns and briars which scratched and disfigured me in the course of mine.” Chesterfield is explaining to his son that his experience growing up will apply and help his son’s life. To further showcase his credibility, Chesterfield used words such as “Let my experience supply your want of it” and “those thorns and briars which scratched me in the course of mine.” These words show that Chesterfield’s advice is a credible source because he is implying that my advice will help you because I also faced specific experiences in my

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