On the Sublime

“Sublime natures are seldom clean!””

— Longinus

“For our soul is raised out of nature through the truly sublime, sways with high spirits, and is filled with proud joy, as if itself had created what it hears.””

— Longinus

“What then did those immortals see, the writers who aimed at all which is greatest and scorned the accuracy which lies in every detail? They saw many other things and they also saw this, that Nature determined man to be no low or ignoble animal; but introducing us into life and this entire universe as into some vast assemblage, to be spectators, in a sort, of her entirety, and most ardent competitors, did then implant in our souls an invincible and eternal love of that which is great and, by our own standard, more devine. Therefore it is, that for the speculation and thought which are within the scope of human endeavour not all the universe together is sufficient, our conceptions often pass beyond the bounds which limit it; and if a man were to look upon life all around, and see how in all things the extraordinary, the great, the beautiful stand supreme, he will at once know for what ends we have been born.””

— Longinus

“È allora che l'arte è perfetta, quando sembra esser natura; mentre la natura raggiunge il suo scopo quando presuppone l'arte senza che ce ne accorgiamo.””

— Longinus

“Grandi sono i discorsi di chi ha profondo il pensiero.””

— Longinus