| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from My Antonia by Willa Cather: `I feel as if he is up to some of his tricks again, and is going to try
to scare me, somehow.'
Grandmother was apprehensive at once. `I don't think it's right for
you to stay there, feeling that way. I suppose it wouldn't be right
for you to leave the place alone, either, after giving your word.
Maybe Jim would be willing to go over there and sleep, and you could
come here nights. I'd feel safer, knowing you were under my own roof.
I guess Jim could take care of their silver and old usury notes as well
as you could.'
Antonia turned to me eagerly. `Oh, would you, Jim? I'd make
up my bed nice and fresh for you. It's a real cool room,
My Antonia |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Ruling Passion by Henry van Dyke: But the vision of the white blot remained clear and distinct. And
the question that it had brought to me, the chain of thoughts that
had linked themselves to it, lingered through the morning, and made
me feel sure that there was an untold secret in Falconer's life and
that the clew to it must be sought in the history of his last
picture.
But how to trace the connection? Every one who had known Falconer,
however slightly, was out of town. There was no clew to follow.
Even the name "Larmone" gave me no help; for I could not find it on
any map of Long Island. It was probably the fanciful title of some
old country-place, familiar only to the people who had lived there.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The House of Dust by Conrad Aiken: If you could solve this darkness you would have me.
This causeless melancholy that comes with rain,
Or on such days as this when large wet snowflakes
Drop heavily, with rain . . . whence rises this?
Well, so-and-so, this morning when I saw him,
Seemed much preoccupied, and would not smile;
And you, I saw too much; and you, too little;
And the word I chose for you, the golden word,
The word that should have struck so deep in purpose,
And set so many doors of wish wide open,
You let it fall, and would not stoop for it,
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