Now, as words affect, not by any original power, but by representation, it might be supposed, that their influence over the passions should be but light; yet it is quite otherwise; for we find by experience, that eloquence1 and poetry are as capable, nay2 indeed much more capable, of making deep and lively impressions than any other arts, and even than nature itself in very many cases. And this arises chiefly from these three causes. First, that we take an extraordinary part in the passions of others, and that we are easily affected3 and brought into sympathy by any tokens which are shown of them; and there are no tokens which can express all the circumstances of most passions so fully4 as words; so that if a person speaks upon any subject, he can not only convey the subject to you, but likewise the manner in which he is himself affected by it. Certain it is, that the influence of most things on our passions is not so much from the things themselves, as from our opinions concerning them; and these again depend very much on the opinions of other men, conveyable for the most part by words only. Secondly5, there are many things of a very affecting nature, which can seldom occur in the reality, but the words that represent them often do; and thus they have an opportunity of making a deep impression and taking root in the mind, whilst the idea of the reality was transient; and to some perhaps never really occurred in any shape, to whom it is notwithstanding very affecting, as war, death, famine, &c. Besides many ideas have never been at all presented to the senses of any men but by words, as God, angels, devils, heaven, and hell, all of which have however a great influence over the passions. Thirdly, by words we have it in our power to make such combinations as we cannot possibly do otherwise. By this power of combining we are able, by the addition of well-chosen circumstances, to give a new life and force to the simple object. In painting we may represent any fine figure we please; but we never can give it those enlivening touches which it may receive from words. To represent an angel in a picture, you can only draw a beautiful young man winged: but what painting can furnish out anything so grand as the addition of one word, “the angel of the Lord”? It is true, I have here no clear idea; but these words affect the mind more than the sensible image did; which is all I contend for. A picture of Priam dragged to the altar’s foot, and there murdered, if it were well executed, would undoubtedly6 be very moving; but there are very aggravating7 circumstances, which it could never represent:
Sanguine8 foedantem quos ipse sacraverat ignes.
As a further instance, let us consider those lines of Milton, where he describes the travels of the fallen angels through their dismal9 habitation:
“O’er many a dark and dreary10 vale
They passed, and many a region dolorous11;
O’er many a frozen, many a fiery12 Alp;
Rocks, caves, lakes, fens13, bogs14, dens15, and shades of death,
A universe of death.”
Here is displayed the force of union in
“Rocks, caves, lakes, dens, bogs, fens, and shades”
which yet would lose the greatest part of their effect, if they were not the
“Rocks, caves, lakes, dens, bogs, fens, and shades — of Death.”
This idea or this affection caused by a word, which nothing but a word could annex16 to the others, raises a very great degree of the sublime17, and this sublime is raised yet higher by what follows, a “universe of death.” Here are again two ideas not presentable but by language, and an union of them great and amazing beyond conception; if they may properly be called ideas which present no distinct image to the mind; but still it will be difficult to conceive how words can move the passions which belong to real objects, without representing these objects clearly. This is difficult to us, because we do not sufficiently18 distinguish, in our observations upon language, between a clear expression and a strong expression. These are frequently confounded with each other, though they are in reality extremely different. The former regards the understanding, the latter belongs to the passions. The one describes a thing as it is, the latter describes it as it is felt. Now, as there is a moving tone of voice, an impassioned countenance19, an agitated20 gesture, which affect independently of the things about which they are exerted, so there are words, and certain dispositions21 of words, which being peculiarly devoted22 to passionate23 subjects, and always used by those who are under the influence of any passion, touch and move us more than those which far more clearly and distinctly express the subject-matter. We yield to sympathy what we refuse to description. The truth is, all verbal description, merely as naked description, though never so exact, conveys so poor and insufficient24 an idea of the thing described, that it could scarcely have the smallest effect, if the speaker did not call in to his aid those modes of speech that mark a strong and lively feeling in himself. Then, by the contagion25 of our passions, we catch a fire already kindled26 in another, which probably might never have been struck out by the object described. Words, by strongly conveying the passions by those means which we have already mentioned, fully compensate27 for their weakness in other respects. It may be observed, that very polished languages, and such as are praised for their superior clearness and perspicuity28, are generally deficient29 in strength. The French language has that perfection and that defect. Whereas the Oriental tongues, and in general the languages of most unpolished people, have a great force and energy of expression, and this is but natural. Uncultivated people are but ordinary observers of things, and not critical in distinguishing them; but, for that reason they admire more, and are more affected with what they see, and therefore express themselves in a warmer and more passionate manner. If the affection be well conveyed, it will work its effect without any clear idea, often without any idea at all of the thing which has originally given rise to it.
It might be expected, from the fertility of the subject, that I should consider poetry, as it regards the sublime and beautiful, more at large; but it must be observed, that in this light it has been often and well handled already. It was not my design to enter into the criticism of the sublime and beautiful in any art, but to attempt to lay down such principles as may tend to ascertain30, to distinguish, and to form a sort of standard for them; which purposes I thought might be best effected by an inquiry31 into the properties of such things in nature, as raise love and astonishment32 in us; and by showing in what manner they operated to produce these passions. Words were only so far to be considered as to show upon what principle they were capable of being the representatives of these natural things, and by what powers they were able to affect us often as strongly as the things they represent, and sometimes much more strongly.
The End
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1
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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2
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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3
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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4
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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6
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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7
aggravating
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| adj.恼人的，讨厌的 | |
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8
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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9
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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11
dolorous
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| adj.悲伤的；忧愁的 | |
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12
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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13
fens
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| n.（尤指英格兰东部的）沼泽地带( fen的名词复数 ) | |
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14
bogs
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| n.沼泽，泥塘( bog的名词复数 )；厕所v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的第三人称单数 )；妨碍，阻碍 | |
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15
dens
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| n.牙齿，齿状部分；兽窝( den的名词复数 )；窝点；休息室；书斋 | |
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16
annex
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| vt.兼并，吞并；n.附属建筑物 | |
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17
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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18
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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19
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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20
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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21
dispositions
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| 安排( disposition的名词复数 )； 倾向； （财产、金钱的）处置； 气质 | |
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22
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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23
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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24
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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25
contagion
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| n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延 | |
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26
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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27
compensate
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| vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消 | |
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28
perspicuity
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| n.（文体的）明晰 | |
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29
deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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30
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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31
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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32
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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