Introduction
Taylor Johnson’s article concerns the song “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell, which aims to draw people’s attention to environmental issues. The author notes that this song made him pay attention to important things he did not notice in everyday life. The song was written to raise public awareness of the use of harmful pesticides in the 1960s (Johnson 1). Johnson’s article makes an effective argument about the ability of art to influence society and raise people’s awareness of environmental issues.
Purpose
The author’s goal in the article about the “Big Yellow Taxi” is to remind people of global processes they may not notice in everyday life. The author draws attention to how concise and compelling a statement can be in the format of a song. In addition, the author intends to express his personal experience by listening and reflecting on the composition.
The author of the article notes that “I was directly confronted…selfishness”, saying that the song made him think about human indifference to the problems of the planet, which they consider the only home (Johnson 1). The audience for Johnson’s article may be broad, as it raises general social problems. At the same time, the article may be most interesting to people who care about preserving nature and love music.
Argument
The main argument regarding the significant impact of music on society is the author’s personal feelings. The author writes about the primary thought drawn from listening to the song: “We would be paying for the existence of a natural world” (Johnson 1). A supporting argument in the work is from the “Big Yellow Taxi’s” meaningful analysis: “Mitchell reminds listeners of the adage ‘you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.’” (Johnson 2).
Article Organization
The author builds a full-fledged organizational structure based on personal feelings and insights received from listening. The introduction states the main problem: the need to protect the environment. The argument develops in body paragraphs: the author gives a personal example of the influence of music on himself, provides a historical context, and connects it with modernity. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of the “Big Yellow Taxi” song’s message, which speaks of the need to pay attention to environmental issues.
Rhetorical Devices
Johnson uses logos, pathos, and ethos to support his main point. The logical appeal in the work is the historical context, which correlates the writing of the “Big Yellow Taxi” with the exacerbation of social contradictions regarding the environment.
Pathos stands out most strongly in the work since the author mainly uses an appeal to the reader’s emotions. This effect is achieved through the use of loud, emotional phrases: “rallying cry” and “the only planet that we can call home” (Johnson 1). Ethos should imply an authoritative position, which is achieved because Johnson reflected on the topic being described and studied the issue of environmental movements at the time of the creation of the song.
Final Evaluation
Johnson’s article remains effective for readers despite the fact that it mainly reflects the listener’s personal experience. Using his own changed perception as an example, Johnson emphasizes the importance of art for the transformation of society and the individual. His article is well structured and effectively appeals to arguments that prove that the “Big Yellow Taxi” has significantly contributed to raising awareness of environmental problems.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Johnson writes about the song “Big Yellow Taxi,” designed to convince people to protect their only home, planet Earth. The author’s argument is mainly based on the transfer of personal transformation after reflecting on the song. The historical context and analysis of the song, along with a clear structure, make the article effective for readers. Johnson emphasizes that art remains a force that can raise awareness of the socially significant challenges of modern times.
Work Cited
Johnson, Taylor. “Big Yellow Taxi”, n.d., pp.1-2.