Rhetorical Précis: Lighthouse Symbolism in the American Landscape by Kevin Blake

            In an article entitled “Lighthouse Symbolism in the American Landscape” by Kevin Blake, lighthouses are considered for their aesthetical appeals in addition to the practical purpose they serve for navigation.  The author considers various aspects of lighthouses in terms of their structure as well as their geographical setting.  The author considers the aesthetical aspects of lighthouses in addition to their practical purpose of navigation in order to illustrate that technologies such as GPS cannot completely replace such navigation markers in terms of marking off the boundary where water and land come together.  The article is written considering both an audience of geographers that appreciates lighthouses for their geographical setting as well as for those individuals interested in maritime issues and the purposes of sea navigation.

Citation Quote:  “But, first, what is a lighthouse? It is a structure built to display a maritime beacon as an aid to navigation that marks a known point an important place, such as a

Headland, shoal, or harbor entrance.”(10)

Source: Blake, Kevin “Lighthouse Symbolism in the American landscape.” Focus on Geography 50.1 (2007): 9-15. Web. 29 January 2013.

(Left out page number in initial blog posts and wanted write better precis)