| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Georgics by Virgil: Goes out in spate, and with its coat of slime
Holds all the country, whence the hollow dykes
Sweat steaming vapour?
But no whit the more
For all expedients tried and travail borne
By man and beast in turning oft the soil,
Do greedy goose and Strymon-haunting cranes
And succory's bitter fibres cease to harm,
Or shade not injure. The great Sire himself
No easy road to husbandry assigned,
And first was he by human skill to rouse
Georgics |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Master of the World by Jules Verne: projectile, brushing the surface of the water, passed in front of the
"Terror," and sped beyond the destroyer on our right.
I glanced around anxiously. Standing by my side, the lookout seemed
to await a sign from the captain. As for him, he did not even turn
his head; and I shall never forget the expression of disdain
imprinted on his visage.
At this moment, I was pushed suddenly toward the hatchway of my
cabin, which was fastened above me. At the same instant the other
hatchways were closed; the deck became watertight. I heard a single
throb of the machinery, and the plunge was made, the submarine
disappeared beneath the waters of the lake.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Reason Discourse by Rene Descartes: controversies to which they might give rise, or even the reputation, such
as it might be, which they would acquire for me, should be any occasion of
my losing the time that I had set apart for my own improvement. For though
it be true that every one is bound to promote to the extent of his ability
the good of others, and that to be useful to no one is really to be
worthless, yet it is likewise true that our cares ought to extend beyond
the present, and it is good to omit doing what might perhaps bring some
profit to the living, when we have in view the accomplishment of other
ends that will be of much greater advantage to posterity. And in truth, I
am quite willing it should be known that the little I have hitherto
learned is almost nothing in comparison with that of which I am ignorant,
Reason Discourse |
