| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Four Arthurian Romances by Chretien DeTroyes: generation. He is to be read as a story-teller rather than as a
poet, as a casuist rather than as a philosopher. But when all
deductions are made, his significance as a literary artist and as
the founder of a precious literary tradition distinguishes him
from all other poets of the Latin races between the close of the
Empire and the arrival of Dante.
-- W. W. COMFORT.
EREC ET ENIDE (1)
(Vv. 1-26.) The rustic's proverb says that many a thing is
despised that is worth much more than is supposed. Therefore he
does well who makes the most of whatever intelligence he may
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain: "No -- Number Two -- under the cross. The other
place is bad -- too common."
"All right. It's nearly dark enough to start."
Injun Joe got up and went about from window to
window cautiously peeping out. Presently he said:
"Who could have brought those tools here? Do
you reckon they can be up-stairs?"
The boys' breath forsook them. Injun Joe put his
hand on his knife, halted a moment, undecided, and
then turned toward the stairway. The boys thought
of the closet, but their strength was gone. The steps
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Cratylus by Plato: euphony, and time is also a great alterer of words. For example, what
business has the letter rho in the word katoptron, or the letter sigma in
the word sphigx? The additions are often such that it is impossible to
make out the original word; and yet, if you may put in and pull out, as you
like, any name is equally good for any object. The fact is, that great
dictators of literature like yourself should observe the rules of
moderation. 'I will do my best.' But do not be too much of a precisian,
or you will paralyze me. If you will let me add mechane, apo tou mekous,
which means polu, and anein, I shall be at the summit of my powers, from
which elevation I will examine the two words kakia and arete. The first is
easily explained in accordance with what has preceded; for all things being
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