| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Rescue by Joseph Conrad: him, and he took his place at the end.
"It was a great rain and a mighty wind, O men," he said,
dogmatically, "but no wind can ever hurt this ship. That I knew
while I stood minding the sail which is under my care."
A dull and inexpressive murmur was heard from the men. Over the
high weather rail, a topping wave flung into their eyes a handful
of heavy drops that stung like hail. There were low groans of
indignation. A man sighed. Another emitted a spasmodic laugh
through his chattering teeth. No one moved away. The little
kassab wiped his face and went on in his cracked voice, to the
accompaniment of the swishing sounds made by the seas that swept
The Rescue |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith: TONY. Very safe, sir, at my aunt Pedigree's. Hem.
MRS. HARDCASTLE. (From behind.) Ah, death! I find there's danger.
HARDCASTLE. Forty miles in three hours; sure that's too much, my
youngster.
TONY. Stout horses and willing minds make short journeys, as they say.
Hem.
MRS. HARDCASTLE. (From behind.) Sure he'll do the dear boy no harm.
HARDCASTLE. But I heard a voice here; I should be glad to know from
whence it came.
TONY. It was I, sir, talking to myself, sir. I was saying that forty
miles in four hours was very good going. Hem. As to be sure it was.
She Stoops to Conquer |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Moby Dick by Herman Melville: resolved itself into what seemed a systematic movement; for having
clumped together at last in one dense body, they then renewed their
onward flight with augmented fleetness. Further pursuit was useless;
but the boats still lingered in their wake to pick up what drugged
whales might be dropped astern, and likewise to secure one which
Flask had killed and waifed. The waif is a pennoned pole, two or
three of which are carried by every boat; and which, when additional
game is at hand, are inserted upright into the floating body of a
dead whale, both to mark its place on the sea, and also as token of
prior possession, should the boats of any other ship draw near.
The result of this lowering was somewhat illustrative of that
Moby Dick |
