On the Sublime by Longinus - summary

 According to  Longinus Sublimity can be defined as the ' excellence in expression ' and it can be achieved through the remarkable reconciliation of poetic inspiration and rhetorical mastery. In fact, sublimity is an excellent poetic creation with power to please, persuade and uplift the minds of the readers.

Longinus was of the view that it is an inborn genius and can not be acquired by teaching. He finds five principal sources of the sublime. The first two are the largely innate blessing and remaining three are the gift of art.

 
1- Grandeur of thought
2- Capacity for strong emotion
3- Appropriate use of figures of speech
4- Nobility in diction
5- Dignity of composition

 Grandeur of thought (impressiveness)
For longinus 'sublimity is and echo of a great soul' or dignified thoughts belong the loftiest mind. These thoughts are in fact innate and natural flow of the writer's mind and heart.

Literature creates a lasting impression on the readers both morally and artistically.
 

 Capacity for strong emotion
The second natural source of sublimity is the capacity to express strong and genuine emotion.  The emotion should be strong and natural expressed in elevated language so that it can appeal the readers  with pleasure and Persuasion.
 

Appropriate use of figures of speech
Among the artistic aids to sublimity figures of speech are highly relevant . According to Longinus figures of speech make the difference in oratory. They are not regarded as unnatural imposition on language, thrust in just for ornaments sake, but to create a sense of strangeness into what one speaks or hears everyday. Such crafty use of words bring an element of surprise and pleasure.

Longinus was of the view that the chief figures that create sublimity are the rhetorical question,  asyndeton, hyperbaton and periphrasis.
 

Rhetorical question
a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.

e.g. If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? Ode to the westwind by shelley

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? - Shakespeare

Asyndeton
A literary scheme in which words or clauses are left unconnected as in ' Veni, Vidi, Vici; I came, I saw,  I conquered,  - Julius Caesar, here the rapid flow of the unconnected verbs suggests the excited mood.

Hyperbaton

an inversion of the normal order of words, especially for the sake of emphasis or to convey an emotion, as in the sentence ‘ this I must see ’.

E.g. Object there was none. Passion there was none. - Edgar Allan poe - The Tell-Tale Heart


Periphrasis

the use of indirect and circumlocutory speech or writing.

So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills, - kublah Khan Coleridge



Nobility in diction
The fourth source of sublime is diction that includes the selection  and arrangement of appropriate words. Longinus says that the use of proper and striking words captivate the hearers. The words should be noble correspond to the subject matter and emotion.



Dignity of composition
Finally, Longinus considers the arrangement of words. The verbal order should be rhythmic and harmonious. A harmonious composition alone sometimes makes up for the deficiency of the other elements.