elevated the diction, the figures, the sentiments!-The Jewish nation, the cedars of Lebanon, the ghosts of departed kings, the Babylonish monarch, the travellers who find his corpse, and last of all, JeHOVAH himself, are the characters which support this beautiful lyric drama. One continued action is kept up, or rather a series of interesting actions are connected together in an incomparable whole : this, indeed, is the principal and distinguished excellence of the sublimer ode, and is displayed in its utmost perfection in this poem of Isaiah, which may be considered as one of the most ancient, and certainly the most finished species of that composition, which has been transmitted to us. The personifications here are frequent, yet not confused; bold, yet not improbable: a free, elevated, and truly divine spirit pervades the whole; nor is there any thing wanting in this ode to defeat its claim to the character of perfect beauty and sublimity. If, indeed, I may be indulged in the free declaration of my own sentiments on this occasion, I do not know a single instance in the whole compass of Greek and Roman poetry, which, in every excellence of composition, can be said to equal, or even to approach it. (D) LECTURE XIV. of the sublime in general, and oF SUBLIMITY of expressION IN PARTICULAR. III. In what manner the word implies the idea of Sublimity-Sublimity of language and sentiment-On what account the poetic diction of the Hebrews, either considered in itself, or compared with prose composition, merits an appellation expressive of sublimity-The sublimity of the poetic diction arises from the passions-How far the poetic diction differs from prose among the Hebrews-Certain forms of poetic diction and construction exemplified from Job, Chap. iii HAVING in the preceding lectures given my sentiments at large on the nature of the figurative style, on its use and application in poetry, and particularly in the poetry of the Hebrews; I proceed to treat of the Sublimity of the sacred poets; a subject which has been already illustrated by many examples quoted upon other occasions; but which, since we have admitted it as a third characteristic of the poetic style, now requires to be distinctly explained. We have already seen that this is implied in one of the senses of the word , it being expressive of power, or supreme authority, and when applied to style, seems particularly to intimate something eminent or energetic, excellent or important. This is certainly understood in the phrase "to take (or lift) up his parable;" that is, to express a great or lofty sentiment. The very first instance, in which the phrase occurs, will serve as an example in point. For in this manner Balaam "took up," as our translation renders it, "his parable, and said:" "Ex Aramaea me arcessivit Balacus ; "Rex Moabitarum ex montibus Orientis : 66 Veni, execrare mihi Iacobum; "Et veni, detestare Israëlem. "Quomodo maledicam, cui non maledixit Deus? "Aut quomodo detestabor, quem non detestatus est Iehova? "Nam e vertice rupium eum aspiciam, "Et ex collibus eum contemplabor; "En populum, qui seorsum habitabit, "Quis percensuit pulverem Iacobi? "Aut numerum vel quartae partis Israëlis? "Et fit exitus meus illius instar !"'l Let us now consider, on what account this address of the prophet is entitled The sentences are indeed accurately distributed in parallelisms, as may be discovered even in the translation, which has not entirely obscured the elegance of the arrangement: and compositions in this form, we have already remarked, are commonly classed among the proverbs and adages, which are properly called □, though perhaps they contain nothing of a proverbial or didactic nature. But if we attentively consider this very passage, or others introduced by the same form of expression, we shall find, in all of them, either an extraordinary variety of figure and imagery; or an elevation of style and sentiment; or perhaps an union of all these excellencies; which will induce us to conclude, that something more is meant by the term to which I am alluding than the bare merit of a sententious neatness. If again we examine the same passage in another point of view, we shall discover in it little or nothing of the figurative kind, at least according to our ideas, or according to that acceptation of the word which denotes figurative language; there is evidently nothing in it of the mystical kind, nothing allegorical, no pomp of imagery, no comparison, and in fourteen verses but a single metaphor: as far, therefore, as figurative language is a characteristic of the parabolic style, this is no instance of it. We must then admit the word parable, when applied to this passage, to be expressive of those exalted sentiments, that spirit of sublimity, that energy and enthusiasm, with which the answer of the prophet is animated. By this example I wished to explain on what reasons I was induced to suppose that the term, as well from its proper power or meaning, as from its usual acceptation, involves an idea of sublimity; and that the Hebrew poetry expresses in its very name and title, the particular quality in which it so greatly excels the poetry of all other nations.2 The word sublimity I wish in this place to be understood in its most extensive sense: I speak not merely of that sublimity, which exhibits great objects with a magnificent display of imagery and diction; but that force of composition, whatever it be, which strikes and overpowers the mind, which excites the passions, and which ex 1 NUMB. Xxiii. 7-10. 2 See Lect. iv. Note a and E. presses ideas at once with perspicuity and elevation; not solicitous whether the language be plain or ornamented, refined or familiar: in this use of the word I copy Longinus, the most accomplished author on this subject, whether we consider his precepts or his example. The sublime consists either in language or sentiment, or more frequently in an union of both, since they reciprocally assist each other, and since there is a necessary and indissoluble connexion between them: this, however, will not prevent our considering them apart with convenience and advantage. The first object, therefore, which presents itself for our investigation, is, upon what grounds the poetic diction of the Hebrews, whether considered in itself, or in comparison with prose composition, is deserving of an appellation immediately expressive of sublimity. The poetry of every language has a style and form of expression peculiar to itself; forcible, magnificent, and sonorous; the words pompous and energetic; the composition singular and artificial; the whole form and complexion different from what we meet with in common life, and frequently (as with a noble indignation) breaking down the boundaries by which the popular dialect is confined. The language of reason is cool, temperate, rather humble than elevated, well arranged and perspicuous, with an evident care and anxiety lest any thing should escape which might appear perplexed or obscure. The language of the passions is totally different: the conceptions burst out in a turbid stream, expressive in a manner of the internal conflict; the more vehement break out in hasty confusion; they catch (without search or study) whatever is impetuous, vivid, or energetic. In a word, reason speaks literally, the passions poetically. The mind, with whatever passion it be agitated, remains fixed upon the object that excited it; and while it is earnest to display it, is not satisfied with a plain and exact description; but adopts one agreeable to its own sensations, splendid or gloomy, jocund or unpleasant. For the passions are naturally inclined to amplification; they wonderfully magnify and exaggerate whatever dwells upon the mind, and labour to express it in animated, bold, and magnificent terms. This they commonly effect by two different methods; partly by illustrating the subject with splendid imagery, and partly by employing new and extraordinary forms of expression, which are indeed possessed of great force and efficacy in this respect especially, that they in some degree imitate or represent the present habit and state of the soul. Hence those theories of rhetoricians, which they have so pompously detailed, attributing that to art, which above all things is due to nature alone: "Format enim natura prius nos intus ad omnem A principle which pervades all poetry, may easily be conceived to prevail even in a high degree in the poetry of the Hebrews. Indeed we have already seen how daring these writers are in the selection of their imagery, how forcible in the application of it; and what elegance, splendour, and sublimity they have by these means been enabled to infuse into their compositions. With respect to the diction also, we have had an opportunity of remarking the peculiar force and dignity of their poetic dialect; as well as the artificial distribution of the sentences, which appears to have been originally closely connected with the metrical arrangement, though the latter be now totally lost. We are therefore in the next place to consider whether there be any other remarkable qualities in the poetical language of the Hebrews, which serve to distinguish it from prose composition. It is impossible to conceive any thing more simple and unadorned than the common language of the Hebrews. It is plain, correct, chaste, and temperate; the words are uncommon neither in their meaning nor application; there is no appearance of study, nor even of the least attention to the harmony of the periods. The order of the words is generally regular and uniform. The verb is the first word in the sentence, the noun, which is the agent, immediately succeeds, and the other words follow in their natural order. Each circumstance is exhibited at a single effort, without the least perplexity or confusion of the different parts: and, what is remarkable, by the help of a simple particle, the whole is connected from the beginning to the end in a continued series, so that nothing appears inconsistent, abrupt, or confused. The whole composition, in fine, is disposed in such an order, and so connected by the continued succession of the different parts, as to demonstrate clearly the regular state of the author, and to exhibit the image of a sedate and tranquil mind. But in the Hebrew poetry the case is different, in part at least, if not in the whole. The free spirit is hurried along, and has 3 HOR. Art. Poet. v. 108-12. |