| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from My Antonia by Willa Cather: Anna Hansen shook the reins and they drove on, while I zigzagged
back to my inlet and clambered up behind an overhanging elm.
I dried myself in the sun, and dressed slowly, reluctant to leave
that green enclosure where the sunlight flickered so bright
through the grapevine leaves and the woodpecker hammered
away in the crooked elm that trailed out over the water.
As I went along the road back to the bridge, I kept picking
off little pieces of scaly chalk from the dried water gullies,
and breaking them up in my hands.
When I came upon the Marshalls' delivery horse, tied in
the shade, the girls had already taken their baskets and gone
My Antonia |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Pool of Blood in the Pastor's Study by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: local magistrate who stood there, bowing deeply.
"This is incredible, incredible!" exclaimed the Count.
"It is, indeed, sir," said the man, leading the magnate through the
dining-room into the pastor's study, where, as far as could be seen,
the murder had been committed. They were joined by the district
judge, who had remained behind to give an order sending a carriage
to the nearest railway station. The judge, too, was serious and
deeply shocked, for he also had greatly admired and revered the old
pastor. The stately rectory had been the scene of many a jovial
gathering when the lord of the manor had made it a centre for a day's
hunting with his friends. The bearers of some of the proudest names
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Prufrock/Other Observations by T. S. Eliot: At a stroke our mad poetics to confute--"
And--"Are we then so serious?"
La Figlia Che Piange
Stand on the highest pavement of the stair--
Lean on a garden urn--
Weave, weave the sunlight in your hair--
Clasp your flowers to you with a pained surprise--
Fling them to the ground and turn
With a fugitive resentment in your eyes:
But weave, weave the sunlight in your hair.
Prufrock/Other Observations |
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 Memorabilia by Xenophon: city"; and this, I presume, is law and custom everywhere that a man
should please the gods with offerings according to the ability which
is in him.[28] How then should a man honour the gods with more
beautiful or holier honour than by doing what they bid him? but he
must in no wise slacken or fall short of his ability, for when a man
so does, it is manifest, I presume, that at the moment he is not
honouring the gods. You must then honour the gods, not with
shortcoming but according to your ability; and having so done, be of
good cheer and hope to receive the greatest blessings. For where else
should a man of sober sense look to receive great blessings if not
from those who are able to help him most, and how else should he hope
The Memorabilia |
