| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: an alien from his native country--not only for life, but in death.
Yes, and deems, and is bound to deem, himself honoured by the lot,
and aspires but after the day when the cross of separation from
fleshly ties shall be laid on his shoulders, and when the Head of
that church-militant of whose humblest members he is one, shall give
the word, 'Rise, follow Me!'"
St. John said these words as he pronounced his sermons, with a
quiet, deep voice; with an unflushed cheek, and a coruscating
radiance of glance. He resumed -
"And since I am myself poor and obscure, I can offer you but a
service of poverty and obscurity. YOU may even think it degrading--
Jane Eyre |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: his jowls. He stood with head lowered and arms outstretched,
preparing for a sudden charge to close quarters.
Could he but lay his mighty hands upon that soft,
brown skin the battle would be his. Taug considered
Tarzan's manner of fighting unfair. He would not close.
Instead, he leaped nimbly just beyond the reach of Taug's
muscular fingers.
The ape-boy had as yet never come to a real trial
of strength with a bull ape, other than in play,
and so he was not at all sure that it would be safe to put
his muscles to the test in a life and death struggle.
The Jungle Tales of Tarzan |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Republic by Plato: Yes.
But are not these spirited natures apt to be savage with one another, and
with everybody else?
A difficulty by no means easy to overcome, he replied.
Whereas, I said, they ought to be dangerous to their enemies, and gentle to
their friends; if not, they will destroy themselves without waiting for
their enemies to destroy them.
True, he said.
What is to be done then? I said; how shall we find a gentle nature which
has also a great spirit, for the one is the contradiction of the other?
True.
The Republic |
