| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll: Who seemed distracted with his woe,
Who rocked his body to and fro,
And muttered mumblingly and low,
As if his mouth were full of dough,
Who snorted like a buffalo-- That summer evening, long ago,
A-sitting on a gate.'
As the Knight sang the last words of the ballad, he gathered up
the reins, and turned his horse's head along the road by which
they had come. `You've only a few yards to go,' he said,' down
Through the Looking-Glass |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: make me any amends, because you may not be convinced of the truth
of it. I will make an offer to you: I have nineteen months' pay
due to me on board the ship -, which I came out of England in; and
the Dutchman that is with me has seven months' pay due to him. If
you will make good our pay to us we will go along with you; if you
find nothing more in it we will desire no more; but if we do
convince you that we have saved your lives, and the ship, and the
lives of all the men in her, we will leave the rest to you."
I consented to this readily, and went immediately on board, and the
two men with me. As soon as I came to the ship's side, my partner,
who was on board, came out on the quarter-deck, and called to me,
Robinson Crusoe |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Macbeth by William Shakespeare: It should not stand in thy Posterity,
But that my selfe should be the Roote, and Father
Of many Kings. If there come truth from them,
As vpon thee Macbeth, their Speeches shine,
Why by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my Oracles as well,
And set me vp in hope. But hush, no more.
Senit sounded. Enter Macbeth as King, Lady Lenox, Rosse, Lords,
and
Attendants.
Macb. Heere's our chiefe Guest
Macbeth |
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 Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: Why, I have been trying to get out of this infernal place for
twenty years, and I can't. You hear, man! I can't, and never
shall! Never!"
He ended his words with a sob, and walked unsteadily down the
stairs. When in the courtyard the lieutenant approached him, and
took him by the arm. The sub-lieutenant and Babalatchi followed
close.
"That's better, Almayer," said the officer encouragingly. "Where
are you going to? There are only planks there. Here," he went
on, shaking him slightly, "do we want the boats?"
"No," answered Almayer, viciously. "You want a grave."
Almayer's Folly |
