| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Perfect Wagnerite: A Commentary on the Niblung's Ring by George Bernard Shaw: as the original creations of Wagner's genius whose acquaintance
we have made on the two previous evenings. The very title
"Siegfried's Death" survives as a strong theatrical point in the
following passage. Gunther, in his rage and despair, cries, "Save
me, Hagen: save my honor and thy mother's who bore us both."
"Nothing can save thee," replies Hagen: "neither brain nor hand,
but SIEGFRIED'S DEATH." And Gunther echoes with a shudder,
"SIEGFRIED'S DEATH!"
A WAGNERIAN NEWSPAPER CONTROVERSY
The devotion which Wagner's work inspires has been illustrated
lately in a public correspondence on this very point. A writer in
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: Woggle-Bug said, in his most positive tone:
"We must lay siege to the city, and starve it into submission. It is the
only thing we can do."
"Not so," answered the Scarecrow. "We still have the Gump, and the Gump can
still fly"
The Sorceress turned quickly at this speech, and her face now wore a bright
smile.
"You are right," she exclaimed, "and certainly have reason to be proud of
your brains. Let us go to the Gump at once!"
So they passed through the ranks of the army until they came to the place,
near the Scarecrow's tent, where the Gump lay. Glinda and Princess Ozma
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Dracula by Bram Stoker: must help to soothe me.
The Count's mysterious warning frightened me at the time. It frightens me
more not when I think of it, for in the future he has a fearful hold upon me.
I shall fear to doubt what he may say!
When I had written in my diary and had fortunately replaced
the book and pen in my pocket I felt sleepy. The Count's warning
came into my mind, but I took pleasure in disobeying it.
The sense of sleep was upon me, and with it the obstinacy which sleep
brings as outrider. The soft moonlight soothed, and the wide
expanse without gave a sense of freedom which refreshed me.
I determined not to return tonight to the gloom-haunted rooms,
Dracula |
