| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Walking by Henry David Thoreau: wild duck is more swift and beautiful than the tame, so is the
wild--the mallard--thought, which 'mid falling dews wings its way
above the fens. A truly good book is something as natural, and as
unexpectedly and unaccountably fair and perfect, as a wild-flower
discovered on the prairies of the West or in the jungles of the
East. Genius is a light which makes the darkness visible, like
the lightning's flash, which perchance shatters the temple of
knowledge itself--and not a taper lighted at the hearthstone of
the race, which pales before the light of common day.
English literature, from the days of the minstrels to the Lake
Poets--Chaucer and Spenser and Milton, and even Shakespeare,
Walking |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: mortals. Thither we came and ran the ship ashore and took
out the sheep; but for our part we held on our way along
the stream of Oceanus, till we came to the place which
Circe had declared to us.
'There Perimedes and Eurylochus held the victims, but I
drew my sharp sword from my thigh, and dug a pit, as it
were a cubit in length and breadth, and about it poured a
drink-offering to all the dead, first with mead and
thereafter with sweet wine, and for the third time with
water. And I sprinkled white meal thereon, and entreated
with many prayers the strengthless heads of the dead, and
The Odyssey |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Kenilworth by Walter Scott: best of our way hence, as he advises."
They mounted their horses accordingly, and began to proceed at a
round pace, as soon as Tressilian had explained to his guide the
direction in which he desired to travel.
After they had trotted nearly a mile, Tressilian could not help
observing to his companion that his horse felt more lively under
him than even when he mounted in the morning.
"Are you avised of that?" said Wayland Smith, smiling. "That is
owing to a little secret of mine. I mixed that with an handful
of oats which shall save your worship's heels the trouble of
spurring these six hours at least. Nay, I have not studied
Kenilworth |
