| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Myths and Myth-Makers by John Fiske: their brooms, which sometimes break the boughs and sweep the
leaves from the trees, is the same as the furious chase of the
Erlking Odin or the Burckar Vittikab. He is Dionysos, who
causes red wine to flow from the dry wood, alike on the deck
of the Tyrrhenian pirate-ship and in Auerbach's cellar at
Leipzig. He is Wayland, the smith, a skilful worker in metals
and a wonderful architect, like the classic fire-god
Hephaistos or Vulcan; and, like Hephaistos, he is lame from
the effects of his fall from heaven. From the lightning-god
Thor he obtains his red beard, his pitchfork, and his power
over thunderbolts; and, like that ancient deity, he is in the
Myths and Myth-Makers |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy: 'It's no use asking them again. Maybe my age makes me timid.
They'll get there all right, and at least we shall get to bed
in good time and without any fuss,' he thought.
Petrushka did not think of danger. He knew the road and the
whole district so well, and the lines about 'snowy circles
wheeling wild' described what was happening outside so aptly
that it cheered him up. Nikita did not wish to go at all, but
he had been accustomed not to have his own way and to serve
others for so long that there was no one to hinder the
departing travellers.
V
Master and Man |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: when she entered the room and took her place at the table
without saying a word. Her eyes were red and swollen;
and it seemed as if her tears were even then restrained
with difficulty. She avoided the looks of them all,
could neither eat nor speak, and after some time, on her
mother's silently pressing her hand with tender compassion,
her small degree of fortitude was quite overcome, she burst
into tears and left the room.
This violent oppression of spirits continued the
whole evening. She was without any power, because she
was without any desire of command over herself.
Sense and Sensibility |
