| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane: inner historical things would be said.
The general, whom the boys knew as the com-
mander of their division, looked at the other
officer and spoke coolly, as if he were criticising
his clothes. "Th' enemy's formin' over there for
another charge," he said. "It'll be directed
against Whiterside, an' I fear they'll break
through there unless we work like thunder t' stop
them."
The other swore at his restive horse, and then
cleared his throat. He made a gesture toward
The Red Badge of Courage |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Case of The Lamp That Went Out by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: seen bidding farewell to Mr. Thorne and his wife on the Tuesday
morning previous, the woman whom he took to be the housekeeper.
The old butler stood beside her. It was undoubtedly the same man,
although he had worn a livery then and was now dressed in a
comfortable old house coat. He stood beside the woman, shaking
his head and asking her just the questions that Muller was asking
himself at the moment.
"Why, what is the matter with you, Mrs. Bernaner? You're so
nervous since yesterday. Are you ill? Everything seems to
frighten you? Why did you run away from that gate so suddenly? I
thought you wanted me to show you the place?"
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Shadow Line by Joseph Conrad: while I walked. From about five, however, until
after seven I would sleep openly under the fading
stars.
I would say to the helmsman: "Call me at
need," and drop into that chair and close my eyes,
feeling that there was no more sleep for me on
earth. And then I would know nothing till, some
time between seven and eight, I would feel a touch
on my shoulder and look up at Ransome's face,
with its faint, wistful smile and friendly, gray
eyes, as though he were tenderly amused at my
The Shadow Line |
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 The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: so that the gold might shine by day and the carbuncles by night.
In Lodge's strange romance A Margarite of America, it was stated
that in the chamber of the queen one could behold "all the chaste
ladies of the world, inchased out of silver, looking through fair
mirrours of chrysolites, carbuncles, sapphires, and greene emeraults."
Marco Polo had seen the inhabitants of Zipangu place rose-coloured
pearls in the mouths of the dead. A sea-monster had been
enamoured of the pearl that the diver brought to King Perozes,
and had slain the thief, and mourned for seven moons over its loss.
When the Huns lured the king into the great pit, he flung it away--
Procopius tells the story--nor was it ever found again,
The Picture of Dorian Gray |
