Light Pollution In Paul Bogard's Let There Be Dark

Although societies may often celebrate human technology transforming the way we live, there has been considerable controversy surrounding the particular issue of light pollution in recent years. Paul Bogard augments this debate in his piece "Let There Be Dark." and attempts build an argument to persuade his audience that natural darkness should be preserved; he does this by utilizing carefully selected diction, by employing an effective text structure, and by appealing to his audience emotionally.

In order to build a persuasive argument, Bogard utilized carefully selected diction in his passage, placing emphasis on key elements of his argument. For example, as Bogard argues for the importance of darkness for stargazing, he uses "irreplaceable"

Throughout his text, Bogard appeals to various emotions to persuade his audience. When describing his previous experiences under the dark skies, he alludes to his childhood, attempting to appeal to nostalgia in his audience. A sense of nostalgia in his audience will induce a sense of longing for times of darkness, effectively enhancing the persuasiveness of his argument. When describing the the negative effects of artificial lighting on the environment, he alludes to various elements of nature being harmed, attempting to appeal to sympathy in his audience. Since sympathy for nature will make his audience hesitant when using artificial lighting, this appeal adds to the persuasiveness of his argument. Therefore, Bogard builds a persuasive argument by appealing to various emotions of his audience.

Ultimately, Bogard builds a persuasive argument by utilizing carefully selected diction, employing an effective text structure, and by appealing to his audience's emotions. Through gaining trust in his audience, developing their understanding, or by invoking emotional responses, Bogard attempts to add to the light pollution discussion through his praise of the