Sublimity can only be achieved through great effort and mastery of the art, but it is not essential for life. -- Willard Van Orman Quine Sublimity is the quality of being sublime. The word has many uses, but most commonly it is used to describe something that is very great or high-ranking. The stars are said to be sublime because they are so far away from earth that we cannot touch them directly but only reflect off their light. Music is called sublime because of its power to move us emotionally. Poetry is called sublime because of its power to move us intellectually and create visions of beauty. Sublime acts of courage have been recorded in history, such as that of Sisyphus, who was punished with eternal torture for defying Zeus and his king, Hades. He was told that if he could find a way to escape this fate he might win release from his punishment but that no one had ever succeeded.