| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence: tone. 'I hope I have said nothing to offend you,' he added, in a tone
of dislike.
'Nothing at all, Sir Clifford! Do you want me to push that chair?'
'If you please.'
The man stepped up to it: but this time it was without effect. The
brake was jammed. They poked and pulled, and the keeper took off his
gun and his coat once more. And now Clifford said never a word. At last
the keeper heaved the back of the chair off the ground and, with an
instantaneous push of his foot, tried to loosen the wheels. He failed,
the chair sank. Clifford was clutching the sides. The man gasped with
the weight.
Lady Chatterley's Lover |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Chance by Joseph Conrad: child though; she hardly affected one like a child, I remember. Do
you know," exclaimed Mr. Powell, who clearly must have been, like
many seamen, an industrious reader, "do you know what she looked
like to me with those big eyes and something appealing in her whole
expression. She looked like a forsaken elf. Captain Anthony had
moved towards her to keep her away from my end of the table, where
the tray was. I had never seen them so near to each other before,
and it made a great contrast. It was wonderful, for, with his beard
cut to a point, his swarthy, sunburnt complexion, thin nose and his
lean head there was something African, something Moorish in Captain
Anthony. His neck was bare; he had taken off his coat and collar
Chance |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from United States Declaration of Independence: long established should not be changed for light and transient causes;
and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed
to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing
the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and
usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce
them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw
off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now
the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.
The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated
injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment
United States Declaration of Independence |
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 Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: was evidently rejoiced to see his master, and expressed his
attachment, as other dogs do, by wagging his tail at a great
rate. Proserpina's eyes being drawn to it by its brisk motion,
she saw that this tail was neither more nor less than a live
dragon, with fiery eyes, and fangs that had a very poisonous
aspect. And while the three-headed Cerberus was fawning so
lovingly on King Pluto, there was the dragon tail wagging
against its will, and looking as cross and ill-natured as you
can imagine, on its own separate account.
"Will the dog bite me?" asked Proserpina, shrinking closer to
Pluto. "What an ugly creature he is!"
Tanglewood Tales |
