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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Burke, what will the result be of the long, close study of an object?

2. Why is suddenness sublime, according to Burke?

3. What is the state between pleasure and pain, according to Burke?

4. What large part of text has Burke added between the First and Second editions?

5. What two aspects comprise Burke's "artificial infinity?"

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Burke identify as the central tension between the imagination and the judgment?

2. What is astonishment, according to Burke, and why is it important?

3. What is the significance of power in Burke's Enquiry, and what is one example he gives of power?

4. Summarize Burke's section about the role of smells and tastes relating to the sublime.

5. What is the main problem with creating prescribed definitions, especially of taste, according to Burke?

6. Describe the types of dimensional greatness Burke notes are part of the sublime.

7. What are some of the cautions or caveats Burke offers to his readers in the Second Preface?

8. What causes Burke to offer a second edition of "A Philosophical Enquiry Into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful"?

9. What, according to Burke, is sublime about religion?

10. Describe the main difference between light and dark relative to the sublime.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define obscurity and clearness, or clarity, as Burke uses them. What significance do obscurity and clearness have to the sublime? How does the imagination interact with obscurity and with clarity? Which passions does Burke associate with obscurity, and which with clarity? Define the aspects of dimensionality Burke uses (vastness, infinity, and magnitude). How do these relate to the sublime? What qualities of "magnificence" are sublime? Use examples like what Burke uses to support your points.

Essay Topic 2

Describe Burke's definition of the sublime. What passions or sensations fuel it? What is the significance of pain and pleasure to the sublime? Describe Burke's ideas of the passions belonging to self-preservation and the passions belonging to society. What are the key differences between them? Give at least three examples of things which would be considered sublime, and explain the relevance of these examples.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the physical effects of fear and pain, as observed by Burke. How do people in pain look or sound, and what is their state of mind? What passions could they be experiencing? What is the difference Burke identifies between fear and pain, as related to the body and the mind? How can pain be a cause of delight, in everyday life and in effecting the sublime? What examples does Burke use to prove this point?

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