On the Sublime

On the Sublime is a treatise on aesthetics and literary criticism originally written in Greek between the first and third centuries AD. The author is not definitively known, but the text is typically credited with the name Longinus. Although the work has come to be known as On the Sublime in English, its subject is advice to writers on “the essentials of a noble and impressive style.” For this reason, G. M. A. Grube translates the title as On Great Writing.

Longinus addresses the idea of greatness in prose and poetry, and how writers can achieve this quality in their writing. Greatness, which he calls the sublime, is a quality so powerful and profound that it overwhelms and moves the reader, or “takes the reader out of himself” (4). Longinus proposes five sources that can lead to great writing: great thoughts, strong emotions, noble diction, effective word arrangement, and figures of speech. To further his argument, Longinus analyzes examples of both strong and weak writing from works written over the previous thousand years. Among the many writers he quotes are Homer, Plato, Sappho, Aristophanes, Demosthenes, and Cicero, as well as the Book of Genesis from the Hebrew Bible.

Longinus describes greatness in writing as a combination of innate genius and learned skill. A great writer must also possess and exhibit moral excellence. One theory about Longinus states that he may have avoided publishing his own writing so as to preserve his modesty and moral excellence, a decision that might explain On the Sublime’s uncertain authorship.

On the Sublime is written in epistolary form (in the form of a letter), addressed to Postumius Terentianus, a cultured Roman friend of the author. Longinus frames his letter as a response to a treatise by Caecilius of Calacte, a first-century Sicilian rhetorician. There are a number of lacunae, or gaps, where parts of the text have been lost over time. In some places, these gaps compromise our ability to understand the precise point that Longinus is making. It is possible that On the Sublime was part of a larger work about writing, which is now lost. Scholars believe that about a third of the original work is missing.

The text of On the Sublime was copied into a medieval manuscript in the 10th century and attributed to “Dionysius or Longinus.” During the Renaissance, the treatise was typeset, meaning that multiple copies could be printed and it could be read by a larger public. After that milestone, the work received more attention with each passing century. It became especially influential during the era of Romanticism and inspired a number of imitations, such as Edmund Burke’s 1757 work A Philosophical Enquiry into Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. Longinus’s short treatise has influenced many ideas about aesthetics and writing in Western culture, and continues to generate interest today.

This guide refers to the 1991 Hackett Publishing Company edition On Great Writing (On the Sublime), translated by G. M. A. Grube.

Summary

Longinus writes to his friend Postumius Terentianus about the principles of great writing. The most essential principle of great writing is that it “takes the reader out of himself” (4), impressing him with power and emotion. Great writers must have both natural talent and disciplined training. They must use figures of speech and rhetorical devices wisely, arranging their words with care and artistry and avoiding stylistic excess and false emotion. They must express sincere passion and, in doing so, excite the same emotions in their readers.

Literary rules give both structure and aesthetic beauty to our writing. But although rules are important, a great genius can break the rules to achieve a higher purpose or to express a particularly strong emotion. Imitating the great literary geniuses of the past, such as Homer or Demosthenes, is a valid way for the writer to achieve greatness.

Above all, the great writer must possess a moral “high-mindedness” that will shine forth and influence readers to be morally good as well. Great writing also depends on the social framework an individual lives in. Freedom is necessary in a society to foster literary greatness, because without it we are slaves to our passions and lose all sense of value.