| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Paradise Lost by John Milton: Yet went she not, as not with such discourse
Delighted, or not capable her ear
Of what was high: such pleasure she reserved,
Adam relating, she sole auditress;
Her husband the relater she preferred
Before the Angel, and of him to ask
Chose rather; he, she knew, would intermix
Grateful digressions, and solve high dispute
With conjugal caresses: from his lip
Not words alone pleased her. O! when meet now
Such pairs, in love and mutual honour joined?
Paradise Lost |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Silverado Squatters by Robert Louis Stevenson: I know about petrifactions - following the sea?
Petrifaction! There was no such word in my language! I knew
about putrifaction, though! I thought it was a stone; so
would you, if you was cleaning up pasture."
And now he had a theory of his own, which I did not quite
grasp, except that the trees had not "grewed" there. But he
mentioned, with evident pride, that he differed from all the
scientific people who had visited the spot; and he flung
about such words as "tufa" and "scilica" with careless
freedom.
When I mentioned I was from Scotland, "My old country," he
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Princess of Parms by Edgar Rice Burroughs: presently two officers advanced and removed the scarlet robe
from one of the figures, and I saw that Kantos Kan had
failed in his mission, for it was Sab Than, Prince of Zodanga,
who stood revealed before me.
Than Kosis now took a set of the ornaments from one
of the salvers and placed one of the collars of gold about
his son's neck, springing the padlock fast. After a few more
words addressed to Sab Than he turned to the other figure,
from which the officers now removed the enshrouding silks,
disclosing to my now comprehending view Dejah Thoris,
Princess of Helium.
|
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 Persuasion by Jane Austen: "No," admitted Charles, "I do not know that he ever does, in a general
way; but however, it is a very clear thing that he admires you exceedingly.
His head is full of some books that he is reading upon your recommendation,
and he wants to talk to you about them; he has found out something or other
in one of them which he thinks--oh! I cannot pretend to remember it,
but it was something very fine--I overheard him telling Henrietta
all about it; and then `Miss Elliot' was spoken of in the highest terms!
Now Mary, I declare it was so, I heard it myself, and you were
in the other room. `Elegance, sweetness, beauty.' Oh! there was no end
of Miss Elliot's charms."
"And I am sure," cried Mary, warmly, "it was a very little to his credit,
Persuasion |
