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THE SUBLIME IN WRITING.

There are a number of requisites for the production of the sublime in writing. Among these are

1. Sublimity of Subject.-Unless the subject on which one attempts to write, whether it represents an object or an action, is capable of awakening the feeling of sublimity in the writer, it will be impossible to produce a sublime piece of composition. High-sounding words applied to an insignificant subject will produce not sublimity, but bombast. Even the mere beautiful and the elegant cannot be raised to the dignity of sublimity. The passages in literature accounted sublime are mostly descriptions of natural objects or actions capable of producing strong emotion. The following examples will serve to illustrate the sublime in writing:

"The cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve;
And, like the insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind."-Shakespeare.

"When, now gathered on either side, the hosts plunged together in fight; shield is harshly laid to shield; spears crash on brazen corselets; bossy buckler with buckler meets; loud tumult rages over all; groans are mixed with the exulting shouts of men; the slain and the slayer join their cries; the earth is floating round with blood. As when two rushing streams from two mountains come roaring down, and throw together their rapid waters below, they roar along the gulfy vale. The startled shepherd hears the sound as he stalks o'er the distant hills; so, as they mixed in fight, from both armies clamor with loud terror arose."-Homer.

"Now storming fury rose,

And clamor such as heard in heaven till now
Was never; arms on armor clashing brayed
Horrible discord, and the madding wheels

Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise
Of conflict; overhead the dismal hiss
Of fiery darts in flaming volleys flew,
And flying vaulted either host with fire.
So under fiery cope together rushed
Both battles main, with ruinous assault
And inextinguishable rage; all heaven
Resounded; and, had earth been then, all earth
Had to her centre shook."-Milton.

2. Vividness of Conception.-Not only must the subject be sublime, but the mind of the writer must have a vivid conception of the sublimity aroused. If his own enthusiasm be not awakened, a writer cannot hope to excite the emotion of sublimity in others. When, therefore, a sublime subject is presented, the writer who attempts to discuss it must portray vividly the strong points and omit the minor details. The dignity of the subject requires that the writer know how to seize upon those features alone which constitute sublimity. Note the genius of Byron in the following description of a thunder-storm:

"Far along

From peak to peak the rattling crags among
Leaps the live thunder! not from one lone cloud,
But every mountain now hath found a tongue,
And Jura answers through her misty shroud,
Back to the joyous Alps, who call to her aloud.

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And the big rain comes dancing to the earth!

And now again 'tis black-and now the glee

Of the loud hill shakes with its mountain mirth,

As if they did rejoice o'er a young earthquake's birth."

3. Propriety of Style.-Not every style of expression is suited to sublime writing. The essential qual

ities for this kind of composition are clearness, strength, conciseness, and simplicity.

It is evident that clearness and strength, two qualities of style heretofore considered, are necessary to convey the most forcible impression. There must be no chance for doubt or misapprehension of the meaning, and only such circumstances must be selected and portrayed as present the object in a striking manner; but in addition to these the style must be simple and concise.

Conciseness consists in presenting the thoughts in the fewest possible words. Thus, Richter could not have presented his love for purity and innocence more forcibly than when he said, "I love God and little children." So also the famous Veni, vidi, vici of Cæsar is remarkable for its sublimity largely because of its conciseness.

Simplicity, which also is necessary to sublimity of writing, consists in the use of plain terms. Ornament, however necessary in some kinds of composition, is out of place in sublime writing. Accumulated epithets, high-sounding phrases, and swelling expressions must here be avoided, or the sublime may become mere bombast.

There is probably not a simpler nor a more sublime sentence than that in Genesis: “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." Reconstruct it in every way, clothe it in the most magnificent garb of verbiage, and every attempt results only in producing a less sublime expression.

Note. In poetry, blank verse is a much better medium for the expression of sublime sentiments than is rhyme. The greatest of English epics, Paradise Lost, is written in this verse. The following is a fragment describing the fall of Satan at the head of the infernal hosts:

"He, above the rest, In shape and gesture proudly eminent, Shook like a tower; his form had not yet

Lost all her original brightness, nor appeared
Less than archangel ruined; and the excess
Of glory obscured, as when the sun, new risen,
Looks through the horizontal misty air,
Shorn of his beams; or, from behind the moon,
In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds
On half the nations, and with fear of change

Perplexes monarchs. Darkened so, yet shone
Above them all, the archangel."-Milton.

The two faults into which writers who aim at the sublime are likely to fall are frigidity and bombast.

Frigidity consists in degrading a sublime subject by an inadequate conception of it or by a weak description.

Bombast consists in attempting to elevate an ordinary subject above its level, and clothe it with a sublimity which it does not possess.

2. BEAUTY.

As was said of sublimity, it is not the province of rhetoric, but that of psychology, to show how we get the idea of beauty, and to point out in what beauty consists.

The emotion which beauty awakens is readily distinguished from that awakened by sublimity. It is more gentle, and produces an agreeable serenity where the sublime elevates the mind and arouses the emotions to a higher pitch. Beauty also is applied to a much greater variety of objects, actions, etc. than is sublimity. The chief elements of beauty are the following:

1. Color.-This is one of the chief elements of beauty. Our mental constitution is such that we receive pleasure from the exhibition of certain colors and combinations

of color. Not all colors or combinations are pleasing. to us, nor are the same colors pleasing to different persons at all times. Our pleasure in colors also may change as we become better educated and better enabled to appreciate the harmony and beauty of colors and combinations. We have no absolute standard of beauty in color.

Affected by Association.-There seems to be little doubt that beauty of color is to some extent, at least, a matter of association. Thus, green is pleasing because associated with rural scenery; blue, because associated with the serenity of the sky; and white, because of its association with the idea of purity.

2. Figure.-Figure is also an element of beauty. It is more complex than color. The several elements of beauty as traced to figure are

a. Regularity. Whether in nature or in art, a figure having regular outlines is always considered more beautiful than one constructed according to no rule or arrangement. For this reason, square, circular, elliptical, and other regular figures are more beautiful than those of broken or irregular outlines.

b. Variety. While regularity is an element of the beautiful, it is much more pleasing when united with variety. Too much regularity becomes tiresome to the sight, but variety of figure rests the mind, just as a variety of exercise or work rests the physical part of man. A single regular figure is pleasing, but a variety of such figures is still more pleasing, just as a variety of symmetrical and variously colored flowers is more pleasing than a collection of plants all having the same color, size, and shape.

c. Curves.—Curved lines change their direction at every point, and therefore present the greatest possi

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