On the sublime : Longinus
Longinus is regarded as the first romantic critic : J D scott.
Longinus is known for his treatise on the sublime. He is a greek writer. He is
called Dionysious Longinus or Pseudo Longinus. Pseudo means fake, there are
confusions regarding his true [Link] he is known as Pseudo Longinus. The
authorship is still undecided . He was a great teacher or critic may have lived first
or third century AD. This was written in an epistolary form which is addressed to
Terentianeus, presumably a pupil or the friend of the author. The authorship , date
of composition, and the title have been matters of dispute. The final part is lost.
Longinus had considerable influence on 18th c critics . Pope was influenced by
him. So he is known for the concept of sublime or sublimity in literature.
Before longinus , it was thought that the function of literature is To Instruct, To
Delight, To Persuade. So here according to longinus ,these descriptions are not
complete. When we consider the great epics of Homer, tragedies of Aeschylus,
and Sophocles, it is clear that these works were really great for many reasons ,other
than the capability to instruct, delight and persuade. It was actually the power of
sublimity in it . These classics were great because of their sublimity.
What is sublimity.
Longinus says : “ Sublimity as a certain distinction and excellence in
expression.”means a certain quality and excellence in expression these works
possess. It is because of these quality that these writers achieved immoral fame.
Sublimity is often described with the words like Lofty, meaning Great height.
This loftiness of these works takes the reader out of himself to a great height of
ecstacy ( extreme happiness). The readers can neither think or feel except what the
writer thinks or feels. If any work had the ability to lead the reader to this
condition, we can say that the work has sublimity. That is if a literary work
possesses a particular quality , which means while reading the reader is taken to the
height of ecstacy ,or happiness because of its mode of expression.
So longinus believed that it is with this moving power that literature achieves
the sublimity, and not by its power to instruct or to delight or to persuade. Here to
get the effect of all these , readers cooperation is very much needed. But if any
work has this sublimity, it is said that, the readers will be excited or elevated to a
height without much effort from the part of the reader. So here the readers may get
this effect whenever he read that book and not only once. So this is what longinus
meant about the concept of sublimity .
Five sources of sublimity .
1. Grandeur of thought
2. Passion . or capacity for strong emotion
3. Schemata or Proper use of figures
4. Phrasis or Nobility of Diction
5. Dignity of composition
Grandeur of thought .
“Sublimity is the echo of greatness of soul”: Longinus
This results from the faculty of conceiving great thoughts. Sublimity is the echo
of great thoughts and great soul. Great thoughts come from great minds. This
power can be called as the gift of nature. Poets who are regarded great will produce
great work of literature and great work of poetry which will raise sublimity, which
will raise the reader from this world to another level. They can also be acquired by
interacting constantly with noble and the sublime aspects and following the
example of the great masters, as the literature produced by such minds will be
having elevating effect in all the senses.
Capacity of strong emotions / Passion
Emotions are the important factor in sublimity. True emotions inspire the poet with
mad enthusiasm and divine frenzy. According to him, emotions make the aesthetic
transport possible. This transport will uplift the reader to the true nature of
sublimity.
Appropriate use of figures / schemata
The most appropriate use of figures plays an important part in producing the
grandeur ( the quality of being grand) . These intoduce the element of surprise.
There are some important figures that contribute to sublimity .They are rhetorical
question, asyndeton ,hyperbaton, periphrasis etc.
Rhetoric question : statement in the form of question, which is raised for creating
an effect ,not for getting an answer. It will create sublimity.
Eg: who cares? Why bother? How should I know?
If winter comes, can spring be far behind? PB shelly
Asyndeton: It is a speech in which words or clauses are left unconnected. When it
is uttered, it will create an excited mood.
eg: I came, I saw, I conquered. Julius Caesar (moment of victory.)
And that govt of the people, by the people and for the people.
Hyperbaton: inversion of normal order of words, made under an emotional strain.
There is a word order existing in sentence conversion, When we interchange its
order, it becomes hyperbaton. .
Eg: Sweet, she was.
Object there was none, passion there was none.
I loved the old man ( Edgar allan poe, the tell tale heart)
Periphrasis
A roundabout way of speaking. It means not direct way of speaking. It is the use of
excessive and longer words to convey a meaning which can be conveyed with a
shorter expression or in a few words.
Eg. Better half for wife.
In sonnet 74. Shakespeare used this for conveying the idea that No one can avoid
death.
When that fell arrest / without all bail shall carry me away
Nobility of diction.
