| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso: "Thou liest," cried he loud, and with that word
About his head he tossed his flaming sword.
XXVII
Thunder his voice, and lightning seemed his brand,
So fell his look, and furious was his cheer,
Gernando trembled, for he saw at hand
Pale death, and neither help nor comfort near,
Yet for the soldiers all to witness stand
He made proud sign, as though he naught did fear,
But bravely drew his little-helping blade,
And valiant show of strong resistance made.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Woman and Labour by Olive Schreiner: us all domestic and civil labour. We do not even demand that society shall
immediately so reconstruct itself that every woman may be again a child-
bearer (deep and over-mastering as lies the hunger for motherhood in every
virile woman's heart!); neither do we demand that the children whom we bear
shall again be put exclusively into our hands to train. This, we know,
cannot be. The past material conditions of life have gone for ever; no
will of man can recall them; but this is our demand: We demand that, in
that strange new world that is arising alike upon the man and the woman,
where nothing is as it was, and all things are assuming new shapes and
relations, that in this new world we also shall have our share of honoured
and socially useful human toil, our full half of the labour of the Children
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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 The Lock and Key Library by Julian Hawthorne, Ed.: "Upon my word, honest man," said the younger, "we have no change."
"Then God bless you," said the poor man, "and multiply those joys
which you can give to others without change."
I observed the older sister put her hand into her pocket. "I will
see," said she, "if I have a sous."
"A sous! Give twelve," said the suppliant. "Nature has been
bountiful to you; be bountiful to a poor man."
"I would, friend, with all my heart," said the younger, "if I had
it."
"My fair charitable," said he, addressing himself to the elder,
"what is it but your goodness and humanity which make your bright
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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 Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence: "Take me back!" she whispered, ecstatic. "Take me back,
take me back!" And she put her fingers through his fine, thin dark hair,
as if she were only semi-conscious. He tightened his grasp on her.
"Do you want me again?" he murmured, broken.
CHAPTER XV
DERELICT
CLARA went with her husband to Sheffield, and Paul scarcely saw
her again. Walter Morel seemed to have let all the trouble go over him,
and there he was, crawling about on the mud of it, just the same.
There was scarcely any bond between father and son, save that each
felt he must not let the other go in any actual want. As there
Sons and Lovers |
