2.2 Nature and the sublime

The Romantic era saw nature as a powerful force, inspiring awe and terror. Writers and artists sought to capture the sublime in vast landscapes, stormy seas, and untamed wilderness. This concept challenged human understanding and control, evoking feelings of insignificance and wonder.

Romantic poets like Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Byron explored the sublime through vivid imagery and emotional language. Their works reflected personal experiences with nature, using the sublime as a means of spiritual insight and self-discovery. This idea profoundly influenced literature, art, and philosophy.

Defining the sublime

• The concept of the sublime originated in ancient Greek philosophy and rhetoric, referring to a quality of greatness or vastness that inspires awe and wonder
• In the 18th century, the sublime became a central concept in aesthetic theory, particularly in the works of Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant, who sought to define and analyze its characteristics and effects

Philosophical origins

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• The idea of the sublime can be traced back to the ancient Greek treatise "On the Sublime," attributed to Longinus, which discusses the power of language to evoke strong emotions and elevate the soul
• In the 18th century, philosophers such as Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant developed more systematic theories of the sublime, distinguishing it from other aesthetic categories like beauty and the picturesque
• Burke's "A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful" (1757) was particularly influential, arguing that the sublime arises from feelings of terror, obscurity, and vastness

Sublime vs beautiful

• The sublime is often contrasted with the beautiful, which is associated with qualities of harmony, proportion, and pleasure
• While the beautiful is characterized by feelings of calm and delight, the sublime is marked by a sense of awe, terror, and astonishment in the face of something vast or powerful
• The sublime is seen as a more intense and overwhelming aesthetic experience than the beautiful, involving a mix of fear and attraction, a sense of being both drawn to and repelled by the object of contemplation

Sublime in literature

• The concept of the sublime had a significant impact on literature, particularly in the Romantic period of the late 18th and early 19th centuries
• Romantic writers such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Lord Byron sought to evoke the sublime through their descriptions of natural landscapes, supernatural events, and intense emotional experiences
• The sublime in literature is often associated with a sense of the ineffable or the inexpressible, a feeling that language is inadequate to fully capture the grandeur and mystery of the world

Nature as sublime subject

• In the Romantic period, nature became a central subject for exploring the sublime, as writers and artists sought to capture the awe-inspiring power and beauty of the natural world
• Vast, untamed landscapes such as mountains, oceans, and forests were seen as particularly sublime, evoking a sense of terror and wonder in the face of nature's grandeur and mystery

Vast, powerful landscapes

• Romantic writers and artists were drawn to landscapes that conveyed a sense of vastness and power, such as towering mountain ranges (the Alps), stormy seas, and immense waterfalls (Niagara Falls)
• These landscapes were seen as sublime because they dwarfed human scale and challenged human control, reminding viewers of their own insignificance in the face of nature's might
• The sublime in nature was often associated with a sense of the infinite or the eternal, a feeling of being confronted with something that transcends human understanding and imagination

Evoking terror and awe

• The sublime in nature was often linked to feelings of terror and awe, as individuals confronted the raw power and unpredictability of the natural world
• Storms, avalanches, and other natural disasters were seen as particularly sublime, evoking a mix of fear and fascination in the face of nature's destructive potential
• At the same time, the sublime in nature could also inspire a sense of reverence and wonder, a feeling of being in the presence of something greater than oneself

Nature's untamed wildness

• The sublime in nature was often associated with a sense of wildness or untamed energy, a feeling of being confronted with something that exists outside of human control and understanding
• Romantic writers and artists celebrated the rugged, irregular beauty of nature, seeing it as a source of authentic experience and spiritual renewal
• The sublime in nature was contrasted with the tame, cultivated landscapes of the picturesque, which were seen as artificial and constraining

Romantic poets and the sublime

• Romantic poets such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Lord Byron were particularly drawn to the sublime in nature, seeking to capture its power and mystery in their works
• These poets often drew on their own experiences of natural landscapes, using vivid imagery and emotional language to evoke a sense of the sublime in their readers

Wordsworth's sublime experiences

• William Wordsworth's poetry is filled with descriptions of sublime experiences in nature, from his encounters with the rugged beauty of the Lake District to his awe-inspiring ascent of Mount Snowdon
• In poems such as "Tintern Abbey" and "The Prelude," Wordsworth reflects on the transformative power of the sublime, seeing it as a source of spiritual insight and personal growth
• Wordsworth's sublime is often associated with a sense of unity or oneness with nature, a feeling of being part of something greater than oneself

Coleridge's supernatural sublime

• Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poetry often explores the sublime through supernatural or fantastical elements, such as the eerie, otherworldly landscape of "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
• Coleridge's sublime is marked by a sense of mystery and the uncanny, a feeling of being confronted with something that challenges rational understanding
• In poems such as "Kubla Khan" and "Christabel," Coleridge uses vivid, dreamlike imagery to evoke a sense of the sublime, blurring the boundaries between the real and the imaginary

Byron's exotic sublime

• Lord Byron's poetry often seeks the sublime in exotic, far-flung locations, from the rugged beauty of the Swiss Alps to the ancient ruins of Greece and Turkey
• Byron's sublime is marked by a sense of adventure and risk-taking, a willingness to confront danger and the unknown in pursuit of intense experience
• In works such as "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" and "Manfred," Byron's heroes are driven by a restless search for the sublime, seeking to push beyond the limits of ordinary human experience

Sublime in visual arts

• The concept of the sublime also had a significant impact on the visual arts, particularly in the Romantic period of the late 18th and early 19th centuries
• Painters such as J.M.W. Turner and Caspar David Friedrich sought to capture the awe-inspiring power and mystery of the natural world in their works, using dramatic lighting, atmospheric effects, and a sense of vast scale to evoke the sublime

Sublime in landscape painting

• Landscape painting became a key genre for exploring the sublime in the visual arts, as artists sought to capture the grandeur and beauty of the natural world
• Sublime landscapes were often characterized by a sense of vastness and power, with towering mountains, stormy seas, and dramatic skies dominating the composition
• Painters such as Thomas Cole and Frederic Edwin Church in the American Hudson River School created epic, panoramic landscapes that sought to convey the sublime beauty of the American wilderness

Turner's sublime seascapes

• J.M.W. Turner was particularly known for his sublime seascapes, which capture the raw power and fury of the ocean in all its moods
• In paintings such as "The Shipwreck" and "Snow Storm: Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth," Turner uses swirling, atmospheric effects to convey the chaos and energy of the sea, evoking a sense of the sublime through the sheer force of the elements
• Turner's sublime is marked by a sense of the elemental and the primal, a feeling of being confronted with the raw, untamed power of nature

Friedrich's sublime spirituality

• Caspar David Friedrich's landscapes often evoke the sublime through a sense of spiritual mystery and awe, using stark, simplified compositions and atmospheric lighting to create a sense of otherworldly beauty
• In paintings such as "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog" and "The Sea of Ice," Friedrich places solitary figures in vast, empty landscapes, evoking a sense of the individual's smallness and insignificance in the face of nature's grandeur
• Friedrich's sublime is often associated with a sense of religious or mystical experience, a feeling of being in the presence of something greater than oneself

Transcendence through the sublime

• The experience of the sublime was often seen as a means of transcendence, a way of connecting with something greater than oneself and achieving a sense of spiritual or emotional elevation
• Through encounters with the vast, powerful forces of nature, individuals could feel a sense of unity or oneness with the universe, a momentary escape from the limitations of ordinary human experience

Connecting with the divine

• For many Romantic writers and artists, the sublime was a way of connecting with the divine or the transcendent, a means of accessing a higher realm of experience and understanding
• The awe and terror inspired by the sublime were seen as a kind of religious experience, a way of feeling the presence of God or the infinite in the natural world
• The sublime was often associated with a sense of the numinous or the sacred, a feeling of being in the presence of something holy or otherworldly

Sublime as spiritual experience

• The experience of the sublime was often described in quasi-religious terms, as a kind of spiritual awakening or revelation
• Through encounters with the vast, mysterious forces of nature, individuals could feel a sense of their own smallness and insignificance, leading to a kind of ego-death or self-transcendence
• The sublime was seen as a way of accessing a higher state of consciousness or awareness, a momentary glimpse of the infinite or the eternal

Sublime and the imagination

• The sublime was also closely linked to the power of the imagination, which was seen as a key faculty for apprehending and representing the awe-inspiring forces of nature
• Romantic writers and artists celebrated the imagination as a means of transcending the limitations of ordinary perception and reason, allowing individuals to access a deeper, more primal level of experience
• The sublime was often associated with a sense of the visionary or the prophetic, a feeling of being granted a momentary insight into the mysteries of the universe through the power of the imagination

Sublime and the individual

• The experience of the sublime was often seen as a deeply personal and transformative one, a way of confronting the individual's place in the larger scheme of things and achieving a new sense of self-awareness and identity
• Through encounters with the vast, overwhelming forces of nature, individuals could feel a sense of their own insignificance and vulnerability, leading to a kind of existential crisis or awakening

Sublime as transformative experience

• The sublime was often described as a transformative experience, a moment of intense emotional and psychological upheaval that could lead to personal growth and self-discovery
• Through encounters with the raw, elemental forces of nature, individuals could feel a sense of their own mortality and fragility, leading to a newfound appreciation for the preciousness and beauty of life
• The sublime was seen as a way of stripping away the superficial trappings of civilization and culture, revealing a deeper, more authentic sense of self and purpose

Confronting human insignificance

• The experience of the sublime often involved a confrontation with human insignificance and vulnerability, a recognition of the individual's smallness and powerlessness in the face of nature's might
• Through encounters with vast, overwhelming landscapes or natural phenomena, individuals could feel a sense of their own limitations and finitude, leading to a kind of existential humility or awe
• The sublime was seen as a way of putting human concerns and ambitions into perspective, reminding individuals of their place in the larger scheme of things

Sublime and self-discovery

• The experience of the sublime was often linked to a process of self-discovery or self-realization, a way of achieving a new sense of identity and purpose through intense emotional and psychological upheaval
• Through encounters with the raw, elemental forces of nature, individuals could feel a sense of their own inner depths and capacities, leading to a kind of spiritual or emotional awakening
• The sublime was seen as a way of breaking through the limitations of ordinary consciousness and perception, allowing individuals to access a deeper, more authentic sense of self and reality

Dark and Gothic sublime

• While the sublime was often associated with feelings of awe and reverence, it could also take on a darker, more unsettling character in the form of the Gothic or uncanny sublime
• In Gothic literature and art, the sublime was often linked to feelings of terror, horror, and the supernatural, evoking a sense of the strange and the unknown lurking beneath the surface of everyday reality

Sublime in Gothic literature

• The Gothic novel, which emerged in the late 18th century with works such as Horace Walpole's "The Castle of Otranto" and Ann Radcliffe's "The Mysteries of Udolpho," often used the sublime to evoke a sense of mystery, danger, and the supernatural
• Gothic writers such as Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe used vivid, atmospheric language to create a sense of the uncanny and the grotesque, evoking the darker, more unsettling aspects of the sublime
• The Gothic sublime was often associated with a sense of the irrational or the subconscious, a feeling of being confronted with the strange and the unknown within oneself

Sublime and the uncanny

• The Gothic sublime was closely linked to the concept of the uncanny, a feeling of unease or disorientation in the face of something that is both familiar and strange
• In works such as E.T.A. Hoffmann's "The Sandman" and Henry James's "The Turn of the Screw," the uncanny sublime is evoked through eerie, unsettling imagery and a sense of psychological ambiguity
• The uncanny sublime was seen as a way of confronting the darker, more irrational aspects of the human psyche, revealing the strange and the unknown within the seemingly familiar and ordinary

Terror and horror in the sublime

• The Gothic sublime often involved a sense of terror or horror, a feeling of being confronted with something that threatens one's sense of safety and security
• In works such as Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde," the sublime takes on a monstrous, threatening character, evoking a sense of the dark and the dangerous lurking beneath the surface of civilized society
• The Gothic sublime was seen as a way of confronting the darker aspects of human nature and the world, revealing the primal, irrational forces that lurk beneath the veneer of reason and order

Legacy of the Romantic sublime

• The concept of the sublime, as developed by Romantic writers and artists, had a lasting impact on Western culture and thought, influencing later movements such as Symbolism, Surrealism, and Existentialism
• The Romantic sublime continues to shape our understanding of the relationship between the individual and the natural world, as well as our sense of the mysterious and the transcendent in art and literature

Influence on later movements

• The Romantic sublime had a significant influence on later artistic and literary movements, such as Symbolism and Surrealism, which sought to evoke a sense of mystery and otherworldliness through vivid, dreamlike imagery
• The concept of the sublime also had an impact on Existentialist thought, particularly in the works of writers such as Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre, who saw the confrontation with the absurd and the irrational as a key aspect of the human condition
• The Romantic sublime continues to shape contemporary debates about the relationship between art, nature, and spirituality, as well as discussions of the role of the imagination in human experience and understanding

Sublime in modern literature

• The legacy of the Romantic sublime can be seen in the works of modern and contemporary writers such as Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Cormac McCarthy, who use vivid, atmospheric language to evoke a sense of the mysterious and the transcendent
• In works such as Woolf's "To the Lighthouse" and McCarthy's "Blood Meridian," the sublime takes on a more ambiguous, unsettling character, reflecting the uncertainties and anxieties of the modern world
• The sublime in modern literature is often linked to a sense of the fragmentation and instability of the self, as well as a recognition of the ultimate mystery and unknowability of the universe

Enduring fascination with the sublime

• Despite the many changes and upheavals of the modern world, the concept of the sublime continues to exert a powerful fascination on the human imagination, inspiring new generations of writers, artists, and thinkers
• The sublime remains a key concept in discussions of the relationship between the individual and the natural world, as well as debates about the role of art and literature in evoking a sense of the transcendent and the mysterious
• The enduring appeal of the sublime reflects a deep-seated human need for experiences of awe, wonder, and self-transcendence, as well as a recognition of the ultimately mysterious and unknowable character of the universe