But for Nicholas Gage, the author of a relentless post-mortem on this grand passion, lofty concerns still played an all too important role.
Longinus likened Demosthenes to a blazing thunderbolt, and argued that he "perfected to the utmost the tone of lofty speech, living passions, copiousness, readiness, speed".
When Mr. Obama looked forward, however, he was far less specific about how he would combine his lofty vision and his passion for pragmatism into urgently needed solutions.
And his victory speech, with its eloquence, passion and lofty optimism, was perhaps the best he has ever delivered.
Mark Padmore, a British tenor, was excellent in the "Passion," conveying both the lofty remove and the emotion needed in the exacting role of the Evangelist.
Finding you passion is a very lofty and ambitious goal and like your reinvention journey, there's a road-map to get there.
The Passion of the Christ (that lofty second "the" enforcing Jesus's role as the Messiah) is certainly a distinctively personal movie in a blandly secular Hollywood culture.
This is a lofty goal and getting there takes persistence, passion, and luck – but just as importantly, it takes time, and requires a lot of patience.
Both wrote with a passion that befitted their once lofty status, and yet each seemed to demand our attention, beseeching us to heed his unique wisdom, perplexed that we pay him such little regard.
Moretti's blend of passion, principle, and pleasure is a lofty political project in itself.
