Student Question
What are the five principal sources of the sublime enumerated by Longinus?
Quick answer:
According to Longinus, the five principal sources of the sublime are great thoughts, noble diction, powerful emotions, a dignified arrangement or pattern of words, and particular figures of speech. These elements together elevate writing beyond the ordinary, inspiring deep emotions and awe in the reader, leading them to a higher moral and emotional state.
According to Longinus in his essay "On the Sublime," the sublime is a style of writing that arouses deep emotions and brings people to a higher moral plane. Sublime writing moves us beyond the ordinary and thus becomes great writing. It travels above and beyond the rational to lead us to a state awe. The writer of it himself must possess "moral excellence" in order to get to this higher plane.
Five sources of the sublime are the following:
- Great thoughts
- Noble diction (Diction is word choice)
- Powerful emotions
- A dignified arrangement or pattern of words
- Particular figures of speech
All of this should work together to lead the reader to place of ecstasy, a place beyond the ordinary, a place of wonder. We need to give ourselves up to the feeling such a piece of literature inspires in us without trying to rationally understand it.
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