In general a thing is romantic when, as Aristotle would say, it is wonderful rather than probable; in other words, when it violate...s the normal sequence of cause and effect in favor of adventure. Here is the fundamental contrast between the words classic and romantic which meets us at the outset and in some form or other persists in all uses of the word down to the present day. A thing is romantic when it is strange, unexpected, intense, superlative, extreme, unique, etc. A thing is classical, on the other hand, when it is not unique, but representative of a class. In this sense, medical men may speak correctly of a classic case of typhoid fever, or a classic case of hysteria. One is even justified in speaking of a classic example of romanticism. By an easy extension of meaning a thing is classical when it belongs to a high class or to the best class.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of ...belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
The love of beauty is mainly the love of measure or proportion. The person who screams, or uses the superlative degree, or convers...es with heat, puts whole drawing-rooms to flight.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
You say there is no religion now. 'Tis like saying in rainy weather, there is no sun, when at that moment we are witnessing one of... his superlative effects.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »