| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Dawn O'Hara, The Girl Who Laughed by Edna Ferber: dreams of moving it. There it dangles, out at elbows,
disreputable, its pockets burned from many a hot pipe
thrust carelessly into them, its cuffs frayed, its lapels
bearing the marks of cigarette, paste-pot and pen.
It is that faded old garment, more than anything
else, which makes us fail to realize that its owner will
never again slip into its comfortable folds. We cannot
believe that a lifeless rag like that can triumph over
the man of flesh and blood and nerves and sympathies.
With what contempt do we look upon those garments during
our lifetime! And how they live on, defying time, long,
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Adam Bede by George Eliot: unfortunate rencontre. Adam could still be deceived. The candid
Arthur had brought himself into a position in which successful
lying was his only hope. The hope allayed his anger a little.
"Well, Adam," he said, in a tone of friendly concession, "you're
perhaps right. Perhaps I've gone a little too far in taking
notice of the pretty little thing and stealing a kiss now and
then. You're such a grave, steady fellow, you don't understand
the temptation to such trifling. I'm sure I wouldn't bring any
trouble or annoyance on her and the good Poysers on any account if
I could help it. But I think you look a little too seriously at
it. You know I'm going away immediately, so I shan't make any
Adam Bede |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H. P. Lovecraft: from the moon.
But the Shantak flew on past the fires and the
stone huts and the less than human dancers, and soared over sterile
hills of grey granite and dim wastes of rock and ice and snow.
Day came, and the phosphorescence of low clouds gave place to
the misty twilight of that northern world, and still the vile
bird winged meaningly through the cold and silence. At times the
slant-eyed man talked with his steed in a hateful and guttural
language, and the Shantak would answer with tittering tones that
rasped like the scratching of ground glass. AlI this while the
land was getting higher, and finally they came to a wind-swept
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath |
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 O Pioneers! by Willa Cather: I will go North at once. Instead of idling about
in California all winter, I shall be getting my
bearings up there. I won't waste another week.
Be patient with me, Alexandra. Give me a
year!"
"As you will," said Alexandra wearily. "All
at once, in a single day, I lose everything; and I
do not know why. Emil, too, is going away."
Carl was still studying John Bergson's face and
Alexandra's eyes followed his. "Yes," she said,
O Pioneers! |
