| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Contrast by Royall Tyler: tragedy, dying so comically as to set the whole house
in an uproar. Colonel, I presume you have been in
Europe?
MANLY
Indeed, Sir, I was never ten leagues from the conti-
nent.
DIMPLE
Believe me, Colonel, you have an immense pleasure
to come; and when you shall have seen the brilliant
exhibitions of Europe, you will learn to despise the
amusements of this country as much as I do.
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane: Presently the straining pace ate up the ener-
gies of the men. As if by agreement, the leaders
began to slacken their speed. The volleys di-
rected against them had had a seeming windlike
effect. The regiment snorted and blew. Among
some stolid trees it began to falter and hesitate.
The men, staring intently, began to wait for some
of the distant walls of smoke to move and dis-
close to them the scene. Since much of their
strength and their breath had vanished, they re-
turned to caution. They were become men
The Red Badge of Courage |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle: "and if thou wilt come with me, I will show thee this fair sight,
for I have seen it with mine own eyes. But thou must come alone,
good master, lest the others frighten them and they get away."
So the party all rode forward, and Little John led them downward
into the forest.
"Now, good master," quoth he at last, "we are nigh where I saw this herd."
Then the Sheriff descended from his horse and bade them wait for him until
he should return; and Little John led him forward through a close copse until
suddenly they came to a great open glade, at the end of which Robin Hood sat
beneath the shade of the great oak tree, with his merry men all about him.
"See, good Master Sheriff," quoth Little John, "yonder is the hart of which I
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood |
