| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Iliad by Homer: and draws a strong fish out of the sea with a hook and a line--
even so with his spear did he pull Thestor all gaping from his
chariot; he then threw him down on his face and he died while
falling. On this, as Erylaus was on to attack him, he struck him
full on the head with a stone, and his brains were all battered
inside his helmet, whereon he fell headlong to the ground and the
pangs of death took hold upon him. Then he laid low, one after
the other, Erymas, Amphoterus, Epaltes, Tlepolemus, Echius son of
Damastor, Pyris, lpheus, Euippus and Polymelus son of Argeas.
Now when Sarpedon saw his comrades, men who wore ungirdled
tunics, being overcome by Patroclus son of Menoetius, he rebuked
 The Iliad |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Shadow Line by Joseph Conrad: turned solid. It was no good looking in any di-
rection, watching for any sign, speculating upon
the nearness of the moment. When the time came
the blackness would overwhelm silently the bit of
starlight falling upon the ship, and the end of all
things would come without a sigh, stir, or murmur
of any kind, and all our hearts would cease to beat
like run-down clocks.
It was impossible to shake off that sense of
finality. The quietness that came over me was
like a foretaste of annihilation. It gave me a sort
 The Shadow Line |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Mucker by Edgar Rice Burroughs: of you ginks are me frien's yeh better keep outen here so's yeh
won't get hurted. An' anudder ting I'm goin' to do afore I
cashes in--I'm goin' to put a few of dem ginks in de cabin
wise to where dey stands wit one anudder. If I don't start
something before I goes out me name's not Billy Byrne."
At this juncture Skipper Simms appeared with the three
weapons he had gone to his cabin to fetch. He handed one to
Bony Sawyer, another to Red Sanders and a third to a man
by the name of Wison.
"Now, my men," said Skipper Simms, "we will go below
and bring Byrne up. Bring him alive if you can--but bring
 The Mucker |