| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Mrs. Warren's Profession by George Bernard Shaw: you present Mrs Warren's profession on the stage, or you shall
starve. Witness Shaw, who told the untempting truth about it,
and whom We, by the Grace of God, accordingly disallow and
suppress, and do what in Us lies to silence." Fortunately, Shaw
cannot be silenced. "The harlot's cry from street to street" is
louder than the voices of all the kings. I am not dependent on
the theatre, and cannot be starved into making my play a standing
advertisement of the attractive side of Mrs Warren's business.
Here I must guard myself against a misunderstanding. It is not
the fault of their authors that the long string of wanton's
tragedies, from Antony and Cleopatra to Iris, are snares to poor
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: miserable marriage. But, as if possessed of magic powers,
the monster had blinded me to his real intentions; and when I
thought that I had prepared only my own death, I hastened that
of a far dearer victim.
As the period fixed for our marriage drew nearer, whether from
cowardice or a prophetic feeling, I felt my heart sink within me.
But I concealed my feelings by an appearance of hilarity that
brought smiles and joy to the countenance of my father, but hardly
deceived the everwatchful and nicer eye of Elizabeth. She looked
forward to our union with placid contentment, not unmingled with a
little fear, which past misfortunes had impressed, that what now
Frankenstein |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Summer by Edith Wharton: the lady who kept the school at Starkfield wrote that
"under the circumstances" she was afraid she could not
make room just then for another pupil.
Charity was disappointed; but she understood. It
wasn't the temptations of Starkfield that had been Mr.
Royall's undoing; it was the thought of losing her. He
was a dreadfully "lonesome" man; she had made that out
because she was so "lonesome" herself. He and she,
face to face in that sad house, had sounded the depths
of isolation; and though she felt no particular
affection for him, and not the slightest gratitude, she
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Complete Poems of Longfellow by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: . . . . . . . . .
Descending low before her face a screen of feathers hung,--
A moscader, or fan for flies, 'tis called in vulgar tongue;
From the feathers of the peacock's wing 't was fashioned bright
and fair,
And glistened like the heaven above when all its stars are there.
It chanced that, for the people's sins, fell the lightning's
blasting stroke:
Forth from all four the sacred walls the flames consuming broke;
The sacred robes were all consumed, missal and holy book;
And hardly with their lives the monks their crumbling walls
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