| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Russia in 1919 by Arthur Ransome: that the actors deserved all the applause they got for their
heroism in playing in such cold. Now and then during the
evening I was unusually conscious of the unreality of opera
generally, perhaps because of the contrast in magnificence
between the stage and the shabby, intelligent audience. Now
and then, on the other hand, stage and audience seemed one
and indivisible. For "Samson and Delilah" is itself a poem
of revolution, and gained enormously by being played by
people every one of whom had seen something of the sort in
real life. Samson's stirring up of the Israelites reminded me
of many scenes in Petrograd in 1917, and when, at last, he
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from De Profundis by Oscar Wilde: to soil one's table; and I do so not from hunger - I get now quite
sufficient food - but simply in order that nothing should be wasted
of what is given to me. So one should look on love.
Christ, like all fascinating personalities, had the power of not
merely saying beautiful things himself, but of making other people
say beautiful things to him; and I love the story St. Mark tells us
about the Greek woman, who, when as a trial of her faith he said to
her that he could not give her the bread of the children of Israel,
answered him that the little dogs - ([Greek text which cannot be
reproduced], 'little dogs' it should be rendered) - who are under
the table eat of the crumbs that the children let fall. Most
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Chance by Joseph Conrad: falling on the muddy green sea of the soundings from a smoothly
clouded sky. A fitful wind swept the cheerless waste, and the ship,
hauled up so close as to check her way, seemed to progress by
languid fits and starts against the short seas which swept along her
sides with a snarling sound.
Young Powell thought that this was the dreariest evening aspect of
the sea he had ever seen. He was glad when the other occupants of
the poop left it at the sound of the bell. The captain first, with
a sudden swerve in his walk towards the companion, and not even
looking once towards his wife and his wife's father. Those two got
up and moved towards the companion, the old gent very erect, his
Chance |
