Topic > Criticism of "Let There Be Dark" by Paul Bogard

In his article “Let There Be Dark”, Paul Bogard argues that natural darkness should be preserved. Bogard's argument is based on his appeal to a wide range of benefits that natural darkness has to offer; Strengthen your claim using facts, a personal anecdote, and a persuasive tone. Bogard ends his article on a positive note, with a hopeful tone that encourages his readers to take action. Bogard begins his article with a personal anecdote, inviting readers to recall a similar memory. The author appeals to the readers' emotions with his nostalgic story by igniting a sense of loss and agony in them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In addition to metaphors such as “sugary expanses of stars” to tone down the beauty of the stars, a “blanket of light” to emphasize the abundance of light, and the simile “light pollution is like the bulldozer of the night” to highlight the harmful effects of light pollution. We are then provided with hard facts and statistics that appeal to logic and educate us about the benefits of darkness on our bodies, as well as serving to support the author's claim by augmenting and solidifying his argument. Bogard attempts to appeal to a wide range of audiences, which gives him the chance to open the eyes of a wider audience. He does this by employing ethos, where he appeals to ethics and morality as a method of convincing his readers; for example, using allusions to art and history that push readers to consider the downsides of our reality being devoured by unnatural lighting. Bogard emphasizes the fact that darkness is indispensable for religious people and is a requirement for achieving serenity and inner peace. He also asks a rhetorical question; What if there is another Van Gogh in the world who is unable to realize his potential due to the harmful effects of light pollution, which sows a sense of fear in readers, particularly adults who fear the loss of the creativity of own children. Bogard doesn't stop at the disadvantage to which humans are exposed, he also informs us about how unnatural lighting exposes our ecosystem, which is essential for life on earth, to danger, appealing to environmentalists. Judging by the way Bogard concluded his essay, we get the sense that the purpose of the passage was to shed light on the solution already present, which makes his argument simple, practical, and meaningful. It highlights the problem, builds on it, but ultimately offers reassurance that there is still hope for change and improvement. Works Cited Bogard, P. (2012). Let it be dark. The Atlantic, 310(4), 62-71. Bogard, P. (2013). The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in the Age of Artificial Light. Little, Brown and Company. Byrd, D. R., & Stern, R. A. (2018). Environmental light pollution: Trends and effects of artificial night lighting. In Handbook of environmental psychology and quality of life research (pp. 153-168). Springer.Cinzano, P., Falchi, F., & Elvidge, C. D. (2001). The world's first atlas of artificial brightness of the night sky. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 328(3), 689-707.Duriscoe, D. M., Luginbuhl, C. B., & Moore, C. (2013). Measuring night sky brightness: methods and challenges. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 440(1), 012001. Falchi, F., Cinzano, P., Elvidge, C. D., Keith, D. M., & Haim, A. (2011). Limit the impact of light pollution on human health, the environment and stellar visibility. Journal of Environmental Management, 92(10), 2714-2722. Gaston, K. J., Bennie, J., Davies, T. W., & Hopkins, J. (2013). The ecological impacts of light pollution. (2004)., 34(6), 864-881.