Analysis Of Paul Bogard's Let There Be Dark

In “Let there be Dark”, Paul Bogard synthesizes a compelling dissertation that natural darkness should be preserved. Board deftly delivers a cogent argument to sway his/her readers by using personal anecdote, pathos and researches.

Throughout the article, Bogard uses personal anecdote in order to persuade readers to give credence to his claim that natural darkness should be preserved. Bogard remains nostalgic about his memory of childhood: “At my family’s cabin on a Minnesota lake, 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… This winter solstice, as we cheer the day’s gradual movement back towards light, let us also remember the irreplaceable

Bogard strikes the people who disagree with he indicates, “Our bodies need darkness to produce the hormone melatonin, which keeps certain cancers from developing and our bodies need darkness for sleep. Sleep disorders have been linked with diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and depression, and recent research suggests one main cause of ‘short sleep’ is ‘long light’.” Bogard’s claim breaks every wondering, but builds up new emotions. We finally visualize the original and fresh importance of permitting the darkness for our both physiological and psychological health. Bogard even raises a further note about the future descendants: “In a world awash with electric light…how would Van Gogh have given the world his ‘starry night’? Who knows what this vision of the night sky must inspire each of us, in our children of

Board then appeals, “In the United States and Western Europe, the amount of light in the sky increases an average of about 6% every year.... Much of this light is wasted energy, which means wasted dollars. Those of us over 35 are perhaps among the last generation to have known truly dark nights.” However, Bogard extends the facts to suggest diversed solutions to wasted and excessive light, such as changing LED streetlights and reducing the use of lights in public buildings and homes during the night. Bogard builds up our world, and then breaks it down in our minds with his writing: “Simply put, without darkness, Earth’s ecology would collapse….”

Undoubtly, Paul Bogard is both eloquent and persuasive. Not only does he employ anecdote, ___, __ to build a coherent argument, but he also does so purposefully and proficiently. Board’s adroit use of persuasive literary device and tactics guarantees that the readers will be convinced of his conviction that preservation of darkness is mandatory and