| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: but she felt that he was watching her as alertly as a cat watches a
mouse hole. There was a sense of leashed power straining beneath
his calm that made her draw back, a little frightened.
He was actually asking her to marry him; he was committing the
incredible. Once she had planned how she would torment him should
he ever propose. Once she had thought that if he ever spoke those
words she would humble him and make him feel her power and take a
malicious pleasure in doing it. Now, he had spoken and the plans
did not even occur to her, for he was no more in her power than he
had ever been. In fact, he held the whip hand of the situation so
completely that she was as flustered as a girl at her first
Gone With the Wind |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lucile by Owen Meredith: In fire on my heart, I return him at last.
Let him learn that word--Never!"
"Ah, still to the past
Must the present be vassal?" she said. "In the hour
We last parted I urged you to put forth the power
Which I felt to be yours, in the conquest of life.
Yours, the promise to strive: mine--to watch o'er the strife.
I foresaw you would conquer; you HAVE conquer'd much,
Much, indeed, that is noble! I hail it as such,
And am here to record and applaud it. I saw
Not the less in your nature, Eugene de Luvois,
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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 The Wife, et al by Anton Chekhov: Stepanovitch. What's the matter with you? Are you ill?"
"Yes; I am not very well."
"And you are not doing anything for it. . ." Katya puts in
grimly.
"Why don't you? You can't go on like that! God helps those who
help themselves, my dear fellow. Remember me to your wife and
daughter, and make my apologies for not having been to see them.
In a day or two, before I go abroad, I shall come to say
good-bye. I shall be sure to. I am going away next week."
I come away from Katya, irritated and alarmed by what has been
said about my being ill, and dissatisfied with myself. I ask
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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 Octopus by Frank Norris: hev dey hurdt my men, eh, whadt?"
She sprang from the wagon, followed by Minna with Hilda in her
arms. The crowd bore back as they advanced, staring at them in
silence.
"Eh, whadt has happun, whadt has happun?" wailed Mrs. Hooven, as
she hurried on, her two hands out before her, the fingers spread
wide. "Eh, Hooven, eh, my men, are you alle righdt?"
She burst into the house. Hooven's body had been removed to an
adjoining room, the bedroom of the house, and to this room Mrs.
Hooven--Minna still at her heels--proceeded, guided by an
instinct born of the occasion. Those in the outside room, saying
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