| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Heap O' Livin' by Edgar A. Guest: An enemy ambushed to shatter your will;
Its prey is forever the man with a mission
And bows but to courage and patience and
skill.
Hate it, with hatred that's deep and undying,
For once it is welcomed 'twill break any
man;
Whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying
And answer this demon by saying: "I _can_."
JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY
_Written July 22, 1916, when the
A Heap O' Livin' |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: Hamilton? I shall call you 'dear' whether you like it or not, so
no matter, but the proprieties must be observed."
"You don't love me?"
"No, indeed. Did you hope that I did?"
"Don't be so presumptuous!"
"You hoped! Alas, to blight your hopes! I should love you, for
you are charming and talented at many useless accomplishments. But
many ladies have charm and accomplishments and are just as useless
as you are. No, I don't love you. But I do like you tremendously--
for the elasticity of your conscience, for the selfishness which
you seldom trouble to hide, and for the shrewd practicality in you
Gone With the Wind |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Maitre Cornelius by Honore de Balzac: young people looked at each other, the woman seemed to say to her
lover, "Let us love each other and die!" To which the young knight
answered, "Let us love each other and not die." In reply, she showed
him a sign her old duenna and two pages. The duenna slept; the pages
were young and seemingly careless of what might happen, either of good
or evil, to their masters.
"Do not be frightened as you leave the church; let yourself be
managed."
The young nobleman had scarcely said these words in a low voice, when
the hand of the old seigneur dropped upon the hilt of his dagger.
Feeling the cold iron he woke, and his yellow eyes fixed themselves
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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 Lin McLean by Owen Wister: Got shot in the body, and now here I lay.
"Beat the drum slowly, Play the fife lowly,
Sound the dead march as you bear me along.
Take me to Boot-hill, and throw the sod over me--
I'm but a poor cow-boy, I know I done wrong."
When the song was ended, they left the graveyard quietly and went down
the hill. The morning was growing warm. Their work waited them across
many sunny miles of range and plain. Soon their voices and themselves had
emptied away into the splendid vastness and silence, and they were gone--
ready with all their might to live or to die, to be animals or heroes, as
the hours might bring them opportunity. In Drybone's deserted quadrangle
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