| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare: What is his name?
VINCENTIO.
Lucentio, gentle sir.
PETRUCHIO.
Happily met; the happier for thy son.
And now by law, as well as reverend age,
I may entitle thee my loving father:
The sister to my wife, this gentlewoman,
Thy son by this hath married. Wonder not,
Nor be not griev'd: she is of good esteem,
Her dowry wealthy, and of worthy birth;
The Taming of the Shrew |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Black Dwarf by Walter Scott: cultivator of the period, of which poor Elliot possessed no
common share, had been laid waste or carried off in a single
night. He stood a moment motionless, and then exclaimed, "I am
ruined--ruined to the ground!--But curse on the warld's gear--Had
it not been the week before the bridal--But I am nae babe, to sit
down and greet about it. If I can but find Grace, and my
grandmother, and my sisters weel, I can go to the wars in
Flanders, as my gude-sire did, under the Bellenden banner, wi'
auld Buccleuch. At ony rate, I will keep up a heart, or they
will lose theirs a'thegither."
Manfully strode Hobbie down the hill, resolved to suppress his
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Love Songs by Sara Teasdale: They pass, the sensitive, shy years,
As one who strives to dance, half blind with tears.
The years went by and never knew
That each one brought me nearer you;
Their path was narrow and apart
And yet it led me to your heart --
Oh, sensitive, shy years, oh, lonely years,
That strove to sing with voices drowned in tears.
Enough
It is enough for me by day
To walk the same bright earth with him;
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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 The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett: years, too, she kep' her looks and come to be so pleasant
lookin'. There, 'tain't so much matter, I shall be done afore a
great while. No; I sha'n't trouble the fish a great sight more."
The old widower sat with his head bowed over his knitting, as
if he were hastily shortening the very thread of time. The minutes
went slowly by. He stopped his work and clasped his hands firmly
together. I saw he had forgotten his guest, and I kept the
afternoon watch with him. At last he looked up as if but a moment
had passed of his continual loneliness.
"Yes, ma'am, I'm one that has seen trouble," he said, and
began to knit again.
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