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Paul Bogard Let There Be Darkness Rhetorical Analysis

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Seeing an increase in light pollution and a decrease in natural darkness, Paul Bogard in his essay “Let there be Darkness” uses logic to persuade the reader to preserve darkness. Opening the essay with a personal experience from the past, he convinces the reader of the danger of light pollution. The author uses statistics, pathos, and science to support his thesis.
First, Bogard uses statistics to support his claim. In paragraph seven, he wrote “In the United States and Western Europe, the amount of light in the sky increases an average of about 6% every year. Computer images of the United States at night, based on NASA photographs, show that what was a very dark country as recently as the 1950s is now nearly covered with a blanket of light. Much of this light is wasted energy, which means wasted dollars.” Bogard used a statistic followed by a historical example to show the negative effect of light pollution on our economy. …show more content…

At the beginning of his essay, Bogard wrote, “I knew woods so dark that my hands disappeared before my eyes. I knew night skies in which meteors left smoky trails across sugary spreads of stars. But now, when 8 of 10 children born in the United States will never know a sky dark enough for the Milky Way, I worry we are rapidly losing night’s natural darkness before realizing its worth.” Describing a treasured childhood scene that may never happen for kids again appeals to the emotions of any reader. The vivid description makes them want to fix it so some other child can have that experience again. Using the reader’s feelings to achieve his own purpose, Bogard convinces all to share his viewpoint and listen to his

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