Well if Longinus Says it's Sublime...

“For the effect of elevated language is not to persuade the hearers, but to amaze them; and at all times, and in every way, what transports us with wonder is more telling than what merely persuades or gratifies us” (114).


What is sublimity? Perhaps it is the inexplicable. As much as “great” minds (whatever that is and whoever decides it) have tried to explain the sublime, it still entails a sort of mystery. It can be described only in symbolic terms. Longinus, in his attempt to describe sublimity, explains that it is language that can transcend the limits of the human condition. He explains, “For a piece is truly great only if it can stand up to repeated examination, and it is difficult, or rather, impossible to resist its appeal, and it remains firmly and ineffaceably in the memory” (120).

There are, according to Longinus, five sources of sublimity:
1. the ability to form grand conceptions
2. stimulus of powerful and inspired emotion
3. two types of figures: figures of thought and figures of speech
4. noble diction
5. dignified and elevated word-arrangement

As peachy as this all sounds, it stimulates many questions in my humble mind. Firstly, I wonder who is to judge sublimity. In other words, is sublimity subjective? Is it universal or personal? I think Longinus would argue for the former. If Longinus says something is sublime, then it must be so!

During class yesterday, we were asked to share our thoughts on the sublime, and just as I suspected, everyone’s examples were different. We were asked, “Why is this sublime to you?” I don’t know how Longinus would feel about that question, but I think it was the right one to ask. Sublimity is not universal. We all come from different backgrounds, experiences, beliefs, and ideas, so how can we be moved by the same text? What is sublime for one person may be foreign to another.

I can think of numerous texts that have been sublime for me based on Longinus’ definition.

Here’s one:


To answer the question that was asked of us yesterday (Why is this sublime to me?), I would say that it inspires emotions otherwise lost.

Why does this happen?
It is important, I think, to acknowledge my identity as an Armenian-American. Although I will not get into the tragic history of the Armenians, it is, nevertheless, a crucial element in inspiring these emotions for me as an Armenian.

I realize that this video may not be sublime for all who watch it, but that is precisely the point. Since sublimity (as I have tried to explain) is subjective, it does not have to be universal. Context, content, and personal experience will influence one’s own definition of the sublime.

After all, who are we to judge sublimity?

Works Cited: Longinus. "On the Sublime." Classical Literary Criticism. Trans.Penelope Murray and T.S.Dorsch. London: Penguin, 2000. 113-166.
Print.