| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy: and as shapes intrinsically simple become interesting
in writing.
He had been a lad of whom something was expected.
Beyond this all had been chaos. That he would be
successful in an original way, or that he would go to
the dogs in an original way, seemed equally probable.
The only absolute certainty about him was that he would
not stand still in the circumstances amid which he was born.
Hence, when his name was casually mentioned by neighbouring
yeomen, the listener said, "Ah, Clym Yeobright--what is he
doing now?" When the instinctive question about a person is,
Return of the Native |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Black Dwarf by Walter Scott: assent of the proposition, or rebuking the application of it,
could not easily be discovered; and it seems probable that the
speaker himself was willing his meaning should rest in doubt and
obscurity. They had now descended the broad loaning, which,
winding round the foot of the steep bank, or heugh, brought them
in front of the thatched, but comfortable, farm-house, which was
the dwelling of Hobbie Elliot and his family.
The doorway was thronged with joyful faces; but the appearance of
a stranger blunted many a gibe which had been prepared on
Hobbie's lack of success in the deer-stalking. There was a
little bustle among three handsome young women, each endeavouring
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Call of the Canyon by Zane Grey: hates Ruff. Besides, Charley stretches things. He shore riled Glenn, an' I
want to say, my dear, you missed the best thing that's happened since you
got here."
"Hurry--tell me," begged Carley, feeling the blood come to her face.
"I rode over to Ryan's place for dad, an' when I got there I knew nothing
about what Ruff said to you," began Flo, and she took hold of Carley's
hand. "Neither did dad. You see, Glenn hadn't got there yet. Well, just as
the men had finished dipping a bunch of sheep Glenn came riding down,
lickety cut."
" 'Now what the hell's wrong with Glenn?' said dad, getting up from where
we sat.
The Call of the Canyon |
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 Pivot of Civilization by Margaret Sanger: evil is seen, `something' ought to be done to stay and prevent it.
One may incline to hope that the balance of good over evil is in favor
of benevolence; one can hardly bear to think that it is not so; but
anyhow it is certain that there is a most heavy debt of evil, and that
this burden might almost all have been spared us if philanthropists as
well as others had not inherited form their barbarous forefathers a
wild passion for instant action.''
It is customary, I believe, to defend philanthropy and charity upon
the basis of the sanctity of human life. Yet recent events in the
world reveal a curious contradiction in this respect. Human life is
held sacred, as a general Christian principle, until war is declared,
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