Dana Gioia uses Logos, diction, and direct quotations to build his claim. He includes many facts, uses higher level vocabulary, and takes quotes from renowned and trusted sources. These all help to build his claim on literature and his credibility. In the first paragraphs, he backs up his statement with a fact, saying “The declines have been most severe among younger adults (ages 18-24).” He shows that this fact can be trusted by citing it to the “US Bureau of the Census.” After this paragraph of facts, he moves on to using diction. Phrases like, “That such a longstanding and fundamental activity should slip so swiftly,” invokes feelings of longing or worry into the reader. This helps build a sense of action in the reader, making them feel …show more content…
Quoting the credible National Association of Manufacturers, he states, “poor reading skills ranked second” (in skills deficiencies among workers) and that “38 percent of employees complained that local schools inadequately taught reading comprehension.” This use of logos helps to show the reader the importance of reading in a situation that is likely a part of their daily life. After that he goes on to show how reading has impacted society and politics as well, illustrating to the reader his claim that reading affects all of us. He then states that “literary readers are markedly more civically engaged than non readers.” This fact shows the benefits of reading while also falling under logos. Showing the reader positives of reading in a factual way can be very persuasive. He then goes on to use strong and persuasive diction to support his claim, stating “The decline of literary reading foreshadows serious long-term social and economic problems, and it is time to bring literature and the other arts into discussions of public policy.” Using a slight guilt technique can persuade the reader. This strong diction continues to support his claim. And finally he ends his essay saying that the qualities gained from reading are not skills that “society can afford to