Home › Glossary › Letter L

Longinus

Historical Figure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Author of "On the Sublime," a treatise on transcendent rhetorical and poetic power

Detailed Definition
Though his identity is uncertain, Longinus defined the sublime as that which elevates the soul beyond reason. Poets reference him as the theorist of awe, the moment when language overwhelms and transports, and the eternal quest for artistic transcendence.
Example
Example in poetry:
Longinus, author of “On the Sublime,” taught how great style can enthrall time; Poets study his praise of inspired frenzy—verse that lifts the soul to glory; His analysis of Sappho’s fragment shows how passion shapes poetic grammar; In Romantic verse, Longinus’ sublime echoes in nature’s awe and rhyme; “The effect of elevated language is not persuasion but transport”—a line poets court; His treatise guides those who seek to write with soul, not just with technique.
Additional Notes
Longinus, traditionally attributed author of “On the Sublime” (1st century CE), defined the sublime as language that elevates the soul; in poetry, Longinus symbolizes rhetorical power, transcendence, and the emotional force of great writing—his treatise influenced Romanticism (Burke, Kant) and modern theories of poetic intensity; essential for analyzing poems that seek to overwhelm, inspire awe, or break conventional bounds.
Also Known As
Cassius Longinus Dionysius Longinus (traditional attribution)
Skip to main content