| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from My Antonia by Willa Cather: time I had crossed so many rivers that I was dull to them.
The only thing very noticeable about Nebraska was that it
was still, all day long, Nebraska.
I had been sleeping, curled up in a red plush seat, for a long while
when we reached Black Hawk. Jake roused me and took me by the hand.
We stumbled down from the train to a wooden siding, where men were running
about with lanterns. I couldn't see any town, or even distant lights;
we were surrounded by utter darkness. The engine was panting heavily
after its long run. In the red glow from the fire-box, a group of people
stood huddled together on the platform, encumbered by bundles and boxes.
I knew this must be the immigrant family the conductor had told us about.
My Antonia |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: particular kind of knowledge or science?
[1] By "economist" we now generally understand "policital economist,"
but the use of the word as referring to domestic economy, the
subject matter of the treatise, would seem to be legitimate.
[2] "The master."
[3] Lit. "the management of a household and estate." See Plat. "Rep."
407 B; Aristot. "Eth. N." v. 6; "Pol." i. 3.
[4] See "Mem." I. iii. 8; "Symp." p. 292.
Crit. Yes, I think so.
Soc. And as, in the case of the arts just named, we can state the
proper work or function of each, can we (similarly) state the proper
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Madame Firmiani by Honore de Balzac: idea of her. It would need the pencil of an Ingres to render the pride
of that brow, with its wealth of hair, the dignity of that glance, and
the thoughts betrayed by the changing colors of her cheeks. In her
were all things; poets could have found an Agnes Sorel and a Joan of
Arc, also the woman unknown, the Soul within that form, the soul of
Eve, the knowledge of the treasures of good and the riches of evil,
error and resignation, crime and devotion, the Donna Julia and the
Haidee of Lord Byron.
The former guardsman stayed, with apparent impertinence, after the
other guests had left the salons; and Madame Firmiani found him
sitting quietly before her in an armchair, evidently determined to
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