The Sublime

Term coined by Edmund Burge, he draws a distinction between the Sublime—which is awe inspiring—and the less evocative and thought-provoking beautiful and picturesque. The Sublime instills in the mind of its beholder a sense of smallness or powerlessness—it renders the self both passive and receptive as the grandeur of sublimity floods and enhances the senses. Characteristically, sublimity is associated with monumental size: a mountain can be sublime, as can be a chasm of infinite depth; likewise, a vast, empty plain is sublime, as is an ocean, whether tempest-tossed or eerily becalmed. If extent were not enough, obscurity can equally evoke sublime emotions.

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Hughes, W. (2012) Historical Dictionary of Gothic Literature. Plymouth: The Scarecrow Press