| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Poems by Oscar Wilde: Loves thee so well, that all the World for him
A gorgeous-coloured vestiture must wear,
And Sorrow take a purple diadem,
Or else be no more Sorrow, and Despair
Gild its own thorns, and Pain, like Adon, be
Even in anguish beautiful; - such is the empery
Which Painters hold, and such the heritage
This gentle solemn Spirit doth possess,
Being a better mirror of his age
In all his pity, love, and weariness,
Than those who can but copy common things,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Four Arthurian Romances by Chretien DeTroyes: fall. Two high nobles raised her up and supported her upon her
feet until she returned to consciousness. But in spite of her
countenance, none who saw her guessed why she had swooned. Not a
man there blamed her, but rather praised her for her act, for
each one supposes that she would have done the same thing for
him, if he had been in Cliges' place, but in all this they are
quite astray. Cliges heard, and well understood, the sound of
Fenice's cry. Her voice restored his strength and courage, as he
leaped up quickly, and came with fury, toward the duke, so
charging and attacking him that the duke in turn was now
dismayed. For now he found him more fierce for the fray,
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from House of Mirth by Edith Wharton: have been hunting all over for you!"
His voice had a note of conjugal familiarity: Miss Bart fancied
she detected in Rosedale's eye a twinkling perception of the
fact, and the idea turned her dislike of him to repugnance.
She returned his profound bow with a slight nod, made more
disdainful by the sense of Selden's surprise that she should
number Rosedale among her acquaintances. Trenor had turned away,
and his companion continued to stand before Miss Bart, alert and
expectant, his lips parted in a smile at whatever she might be
about to say, and his very back conscious of the privilege of
being seen with her.
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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 Polly of the Circus by Margaret Mayo: thought, and old Toby's words came back to him-- "The show has
got to go on."
Above the church steeple, the moon was battling its way through
the clouds. His eyes travelled from heaven to earth. There was
a spirit of unreality in it all. Something made him mistrust
himself, his very existence. He longed to have done with dreams
and speculation, to feel something tangible, warm, and real
within his grasp. "I can't go on like this!" he cried. "I
can't!" He turned from the window and walked hurriedly up and
down the room; indoors or out, he found no rest. He threw
himself in the armchair near the table, and sat buried in
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