Burke’s “The Sublime and Beautiful”

Midterm: English 103/FALL 2021
TOPIC: Burke’s “The Sublime and Beautiful”
We have read several articles/essays in our chapter on “The Arts” (see assigned readings of Weeks 3). Edmund Burke, in his famous essay of which we have read just an excerpt, claims that “[g]reatness of dimension is a powerful cause of the sublime” (189). I’m sure you have noted that he often uses images of nature to explain his concept.
In a short essay of 500 words (ca. 2 pages, double-spaced), please explain the validity of Burke’s concept of “The Sublime and Beautiful.” Do you agree, disagree, or stand somewhere in the “middle” that “sublime images,” like looking down on a precipice (his example on page 190) is more powerful?
Strategy on How to Organize this Short Essay:
Explain how Burke distinguishes the beautiful from the sublime; create a definition in your own words. It is a good idea to briefly summarize Burke’s concepts in 3-4 sentences in your introduction. Feel free to reuse the Response Journal for your Midterm; edit, revise what you have already written about Burke. Make sure to also place your thesis statement in your introduction.
Explain how and why Burke feels “the sublime images have more aesthetic power than the beautiful ones” (191). This is where you can explain, in your own words ,whether you agree, disagree, or are somewhere in the middle (neither really disagreeing or agreeing) with the concept he proposes.
Lastly, use one example from a text of our chapter, “The Arts,” to support your point.
Expectations:
Expect to write two (2) pages, minimum, double-spaced pages (don’t write less than full two pages). You will not need to include a Works Cited page for this essay. However, the expectation is that you cite properly in-text and MLA style.
Don’t forget to integrate at least one more writer from our chapter along with Burke to add further evidence to your essay. As mentioned above, here too, feel free to use and rewrite/edit what you have submitted in your Response 2; you might not be able to use all of it but this will give you a chance of rewriting part of Response 2 and integrate as supportive evidence.
The best essays will incorporate a synthesis of at least two texts we have read that further support your thesis. This short essay will show your critical thinking of a complex question!
Strategy to Write Essay:
Thesis: Remember that your thesis should make a point about your opinion that will lead to a discussion. Explain and provide evidence from Burke’s text (and at least one more text from our chapter as mentioned above) for your answer. Write your thesis in form of a proposition (proposing what you’ll “do” in this essay, what you’ll set out to “prove”). Remember not to use “I” and do not use “you”.
Your following paragraphs should support your thesis: explain whether you agree, disagree, or are somewhere in the middle about Burke’s concept and distinction of the sublime and the beautiful and support this claim by giving examples from the text.
Don’t forget to contribute your opinion; your opinion counts and this is when you evaluate the facts or positions Burke proposes. Show the emphasis on pathos, logos, ethos. Paraphrase and summarize; use one quote and properly acknowledge your source in your essay. Your conclusion should restate your thesis (but use different wording; do not repeat the thesis verbatim).
Last Points:
You might want to review pages 561 about “Present an arguable claim” and review “The Thesis Statement as an Argument (560). Then also check Chapter 12 and reread “Supporting Claims with Evidence” (575). I would think that most of your evidence will come from textual citation (576) but you might also bring in evidence from other parts of this chapter (see further, discussions of logos, ethos, and pathos).

Required Texts
Austin, Michael. Reading the World: Ideas that Matter. Norton. 4th ed.
ISBN-13:978-0393420685 /ISBN-10:039342068X
Maalouf, Amin. In the Name of Identity:Violence and the Need to Belong.
https://theoldnewway.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/maalouf-amin-in-the-name-of-identity-violence-and-the-need-to-belong-2003.pdf

Last Completed Projects