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“Big Yellow Taxi” Essay The original “Big Yellow Taxi” written by Joni Mitchell is a song that depicts the effect of urban sprawl on the environment. The song, written in 1968, sends a clear message to listeners that the earth’s condition continues to decline with the increasing amount of pollution and destruction of the earth’s natural components (www.countingcrows.com). In the recent version of the song, “Big Yellow Taxi,” the Counting Crows suggest that as mankind is carelessly rushing to develop a more industrialized society, there are many environmental consequences that result as shown through diction, figurative language, and repetition. Through the use of diction, the song “Big Yellow Taxi” describes the inevitability of environmental degradation. Frequent use of the word “gone” throughout the song shows that nature’s current state will disappear from existence. The song shows that nature is being altered both drastically and irreversibly. The words “paved paradise” clearly portray the rapid destruction of all that is naturally beautiful in the world. The words show that people would rather try to advance in industry than try and save what is so beneficial to their own existence. The chemical pesticide “DDT” (www.lyrics.com), a chemical known for its damaging effects on birds and other animals during the 1960s, is mentioned in “Big Yellow Taxi” to show how technology and industry can harm the natural world.
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