"We are gratify'd to see an unexpected Idea presented to our Understanding, and wonder at the beautiful Conjunction of Notions so separate and remote before; and whatever is marvellous is delightful too; as we always feel a Pleasure at the sight of Foreigners and their Garments, so the Mind rejoices to see an Object out of its ordinary Dress, and appearing by the help of a Metaphor in the Habit of a Stranger"
— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)
Date
1716
Metaphor
"We are gratify'd to see an unexpected Idea presented to our Understanding, and wonder at the beautiful Conjunction of Notions so separate and remote before; and whatever is marvellous is delightful too; as we always feel a Pleasure at the sight of Foreigners and their Garments, so the Mind rejoices to see an Object out of its ordinary Dress, and appearing by the help of a Metaphor in the Habit of a Stranger"
Metaphor in Context
Therefore to form a Metaphor, as Aristotle observes, is requir'd great Activity and Sagacity of Mind, since it must run through such variety of Subjects, and so many different Respects and Considerations under which they fall, to find out the Similitude of two Notions, from the Union of which the Metaphor results. So that while other Figures cloath and adorn our Thoughts with Words, this enlivens and embellishes the Words by our Thoughts, whence it becomes the most agreeable of all Figures. Others may raise the Narration from a flat and low Manner, but this gives it all that it has of surprizing and extraordinary. The Strangeness and Ingenuity of representing one Object by another, strikes the Reader with agreeable Admiration. We are gratify'd to see an unexpected Idea presented to our Understanding, and wonder at the beautiful Conjunction of Notions so separate and remote before; and whatever is marvellous is delightful too; as we always feel a Pleasure at the sight of Foreigners and their Garments, so the Mind rejoices to see an Object out of its ordinary Dress, and appearing by the help of a Metaphor in the Habit of a Stranger: [Page 123] At the sight of such unusual and wonderful Images, we are as much pleas'd as with the sudden changing of Scenes, or with the curious and extraordinary Works of Art or Nature, which we never saw before.
(p. 122-3)
(p. 122-3)
Categories
Provenance
Searching "metaphor" in Chadwyck-Healey Literary Theory Database
Theme
Dress of Thought
Date of Entry
08/29/2005
Date of Review
12/03/2008
