Literary Criticism Longinus’s concept of sublime and its sources.
v Introduction:-
Eulogizing Longinus (1th or 3th Century Anno Domini) George Sainsbury states aptly “So then there abide (stand) these three, Aristotle, Longinus and Coleridge.”
R.A. Scott- James addresses him as ‘The first Romantic critic’.
He is also considered as ‘The pioneer in the field of aesthetic appreciation of literature.
Longinus is a Graceo-Roman critic. The literary critics have disputes among themselves about his name, time and birth place. According to them, he is either Cassius Longinus or Dionysius Longinus.
v “On the Sublime – A treatise by Longinus”-
Longinus’s ‘On the Sublime’ is a critical document of great world and significance. It is the most precious legacy to the literary criticism. This treatise is full of such passages as have rightly been called Gibbon as “The find monument of antiquity.”. In it we find a happy combination of classicism and romanticism. Praising this work, Atkins says,
“There are things in its place than can never grow old, while its freshness and light will continue to charm all age.”
It has a tremendous impact on literary critics all these years. The treatise offers a new approach to art, a new interpretation to literature. It is addressed to some Posthumius Terentianus, a friend or a pupil of Longinus.
v What is Sublime?
Before Longinus the critics believed that the function of poetry was to instruct or to delight or both and if it is prose, its function was to persuade also. But Longinus was not satisfied wit this formula. He said that the epics of Homer, the lyrics of Sappho and Pindar, and the tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophoclea were great not only account of these elements only ,but also one account of their sublimity. The aim of a great work of art to transport the reader out of himself. It is has a capacity to move the reader to divine joy. This is the quality of sublime. So a great work of art does not only please or instruct, but it also moves, transports, elevates. It pleases all and it peas all the time. He believed
“Nothing is poetry unless it transports.”
According to him the work of art become excellent, only when it has power to sublimate, By sublimity Longinus means
‘elevation’ or ‘loftiness or ‘a certain distinction and excellence in composition.
v Charactersitics of Sublime:-
- It pleases.
- It pleases immediately.
- It pleases all.
- It please all the time the places.
- It pleases forever.
Thus it appeals at a universal rage.
v Faults of Sublime:-
There are some defects of style, which spoils the loftiness of language. These are bombast, puerility and frigidity. All these fault arises from the craze for novelty of thought.
v True and False Sublime:-
To explain the nature of sublime and to avoid the obstacles and hindrances that come on the way to achieve the true sublime, Longinus makes a distinction false and the true sublime.
The true sublime uplifts our soul. “It arise from lofty ideas clothed in lofty language.” It gives us joy and exalts our spirit. The more we read, the more we enjoy it. Every times it suggest new ideas and feelings. It never grows scale.
There are four obstacles in achieving the true sublime.
1. Turgidity, 2. Puerility 3. Frigidity. 3. False emotion.
Turgidity is the use of bombastic language. It is as great an evil as swelling in the body. According to Longinus ‘It is dries than dropsy.” While turgidity is an endeavor to go above the sublime. Puerility is the sheer opposite it. It is a thoroughly low , means and ignoble vice. It is a pedantic thought, so ever works that it ends in frigidity. Another kinds of fault corresponds to these in the felid of emotion. It consists of untimely or meaningless emotion where none in place.
vSources of Sublimity:-
There are five most productive source of sublimity.
- Grander of thought.
- Capacity for strong emotions
- Certain kinds of figures of speech.
- Nobility of diction.
- Dignity of composition.
The first tow source belongs to the domain of nature and remaining three to that of art.
v Grander of thought
Grander of thought is the first essential element because noble and lofty thought find their natural expression in lofty language. According to Longinus, the desire for the noble or sublime thought is unborn or natural. For him, “Sublimity is the echo of greatness of soul.”
According to him,
“It is impossible for those whose while live are full of mean and servile ideas and habit to produce an thing that is admirable and worthy and an immortal life. “
It is only natural that great speeches should fall form the lips of those whose thought has always been deep and full of majesty. Stately thought belongs to the loftiest mind. Mostly they are innate but they can also be acquired by proper disciple. They can be acquired by thinking constantly on whatever is noble and sublime. They can not be gained by imitating the example of the great master. Fox example, an artist should contemplate on how Plato might have expressed the same thought that he himself wants to express. Therefore ‘grandeur of thought’ is very importance source of sublimity.
v Capacity for strong emotions
The second source of sublimity is the capacity for strong emotions. Longinus believes that only an artist who is intoxicated by passion and imagination can transfer the same passion in his reader. This way he can arouse in them an emotional transport. He asserts that nothing contributes more loftiness or tone in written than genuine emotion. However the topic has not been deal wit in detail. The author declares his intention of dealing with in the second treatise which unfortunately has not comes down to use. Here he agrees wit Plato who says that a poet compasses poetry when he is inspired and possessed. But at the he challenged play to who says that emotions are not ma’s proper guides. Aristotle justified emotions off their cathartic affect. Longinus values them for their capacity for aesthetic transport has a moral effect. In a short, the artist’s function is to arouse ‘emotional transport’.
v Appropriate Use of Figures of Speech:-
The third source of attaining excellence of style is the use of figures of speech. He knew that technical sources of sublimity are not mere ornaments. They appeal to our passions and provide us a pleasant surprise. Therefore he believes that figures of speech adds grandeur to the work. They should, however be used with definite purpose and not artificially impose. Proper use of figure of speech appeal to our passion. In this connection he says, “A figure is more effective when the fat that it is a figure is happily concealed and it is concealed by spendeor of style.
v Nobility of Diction:-
Being a great rhetorician Longinus gives great importance to diction, which includes proper choice of word as ornament of language. Suitable words have a moving effect on readers. They add to the grandeur, beauty, force, dignity and charm to expression. They breathe voice into dead things. Diction should differ as occasion differs. All characters should not speaks the same language. Proper use of metaphor and hyperbole produces sublimity more effectively than other figure. With the help of proper diction the reader experiences an idea emotionally. It has a moving affect upon the reader.
v Dignity of composition:-
Finally, Longinus comes to the fifth and final source of sublimity. This is the combination of all the four source. It emphasized on the dignity composition that is the proper arrangement of word. It combines thought, emotion, figures and words into an organic whole. According to him, “Sublimity means a certain destination and excellence in composition. And them he warns that great thought which lack composition and themselves wasted and wasted the total sublime effect. On in this view excellence in composition can please, instruct, persuade and also set the read’s heart on to an emotion transport.
v Measurement of sublime:-
Longinus then gives three following criteria to measure sublimity of a work.
- It is good to imagine how home would have aid the same things or how Plato or Demosthenes would have invested it with sublimity.
- It Homer and Demosthenes would have been alive, how would they react against it? Their feeling about the work is a measurement.
- The last condition to be any work sublime is : How will posterity take it. ?
v Conclusion
Thus Longinus is the golden balance between Plato and Aristotle, Homer and Shelley, classicism and Romanticism down to Eliot’s modernism. As a critic he display a rare breath and universality of outlook. Moreover his mind is free from any prejudice. His judgments are essentially apt. They have been supported by posterity. Atkins says,
“There are in short, many respect in which Longinus stands high as a judicial critic.”.
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