Rachel Carson's "The Marginal World"

           Rachel Carson, American marine biologist, conservationist and full-time nature writer, wrote many books and other writings including her most popular book Silent Spring and her essay The Marginal World. The Marginal World was published in The Edge of the Sea in 1955, after World War Two. The post-World War two world inspired the public to be more environmentally active and gave them a new out look towards nature; a better environment would make for a better quality of life. Carson’s essay includes these new thoughts by using description, highlighting the animals, plants, lighting, and landscape of the shore. She goes into detail about how the environment makes her feel, saying she “gain[s] some new awareness of its beauty and deeper meanings” and that she senses “that intricate fabric of life by which one creature is linked with another” (Carson 215). Her description includes a surplus of imagery and figurative language. She utilizes personification to bring life to the surroundings, saying that the “delicate flowers heads would stir with life” (Carson 216), connecting her audience to nature, therefore giving the general public perspective on the feelings Carson felt while in this environment. Among this, she incorporates an allusion, citing that she  saw “what Audubon saw” (Carson 217). Being a painter, Audubon found the beauty and nature and painted it accordingly to create masterpieces. These rhetoric devices combine to create an inspiring essay about the beauty of the edge of the sea with an underlying message to help save the environment. The rhetoric devices cause the description to flow and advance the essay while keeping the general public interested in her writing. She was able to clearly and effectively describe to her audience the symbolism behind the animals and plant life and well as share her feelings that the nature arouse in her. With the craftsmanship of a writer and the knowledge of a marine biologist, Rachel Carson wrote a breathtaking essay that will inspire the public for years to come. 

Louisiana Heron, By John James Audubon 

Picture Citation

McNee, Lori. "The Importance of Being an Artist in Today's Modern World." Finearttips.com. N.p., 30 Jan. 2010. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.

Works Referenced 

Chowder, Ken. "John James Audubon: Drawn from Nature." PBS. N.p., 25 July 2007. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.