| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells: ing consecutively--a thing I do not remember to have done
since my last argument with the curate. During all the inter-
vening time my mental condition had been a hurrying suc-
cession of vague emotional states or a sort of stupid recep-
tivity. But in the night my brain, reinforced, I suppose, by
the food I had eaten, grew clear again, and I thought.
Three things struggled for possession of my mind: the
killing of the curate, the whereabouts of the Martians, and
the possible fate of my wife. The former gave me no sensa-
tion of horror or remorse to recall; I saw it simply as a thing
done, a memory infinitely disagreeable but quite without the
War of the Worlds |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Intentions by Oscar Wilde: their arrangements and harmonies serve to remind one of the
unapproachable beauty of Gautier's immortal SYMPHONIE EN BLANC
MAJEUR, that flawless masterpiece of colour and music which may
have suggested the type as well as the titles of many of their best
pictures. For a class that welcomes the incompetent with
sympathetic eagerness, and that confuses the bizarre with the
beautiful, and vulgarity with truth, they are extremely
accomplished. They can do etchings that have the brilliancy of
epigrams, pastels that are as fascinating as paradoxes, and as for
their portraits, whatever the commonplace may say against them, no
one can deny that they possess that unique and wonderful charm
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: "These are onagers!" cried Herbert, "animals something between the zebra
and the quagga!"
"Why not donkeys?" asked Neb.
"Because they have not long ears, and their shape is more graceful!"
"Donkeys or horses," interrupted Pencroft, "they are 'moving powers,' as
the captain would say, and as such must be captured!"
The sailor, without frightening the animals, crept through the grass to
the bridge over Creek Glycerine, lowered it, and the onagers were
prisoners.
Now, should they seize them with violence and master them by force? No.
It was decided that for a few days they should be allowed to roam freely
The Mysterious Island |
