Percy Shelley's Mont Blanc: The Sublime

“The Sublime” is a term used to describe to utter insignificance of man in comparison to the awe and greatness of nature. This term, a translation of Longinus’ “hypsos” has been described by philosopher Immanuel Kant as “ we gladly call these objects (nature) sublime because they elevate the strength of our own soul above its usual level...and give us the courage to measure ourselves against the apparent all-powerfulness of nature”. Many writers and artists, especially during the Romantic Era, have attempted to capture this essence, as seen in Percy Shelley’s “Mont Blanc: Lines Written in the Vale of Chamouni”. Shelley captures this through the use of themes; the power of nature, the insignificance of humankind and the contrasting theme of the empowerment of humankind. These themes will be analysed in relation to the idea of “the sublime” to show this interpretation of this idea and how it is executed.
Nature can be a very powerful, yet majestic thing, as is shown in many Romantic texts. The constant use of emotive language, such as the words “mighty”, “great” and “aetherial” during Stanza 2 and throughout the entirety of the text to describe nature evokes Shelley’s sheer awe and greatness which is derived from such power of nature. This feeling of awe and greatness is passed on to the reader of the poem, as they understand why the power of nature is something to be admired, justifying this admiration and encompassing all that the idea of the sublime is