| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli: before it was known that he had started. On his arrival at Rome, the
Senate, through fear, elected him emperor and killed Julian. After
this there remained for Severus, who wished to make himself master of
the whole empire, two difficulties; one in Asia, where Niger, head of
the Asiatic army, had caused himself to be proclaimed emperor; the
other in the west where Albinus was, who also aspired to the throne.
And as he considered it dangerous to declare himself hostile to both,
he decided to attack Niger and to deceive Albinus. To the latter he
wrote that, being elected emperor by the Senate, he was willing to
share that dignity with him and sent him the title of Caesar; and,
moreover, that the Senate had made Albinus his colleague; which things
The Prince |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: the affair. Some one, kind or curious, took her in his car and drove
her in the wake of her sister's body.
Until long after midnight a changing crowd lapped up against the front
of the garage, while George Wilson rocked himself back and forth on the
couch inside. For a while the door of the office was open, and
every one who came into the garage glanced irresistibly through it.
Finally someone said it was a shame, and closed the door. Michaelis and
several other men were with him; first, four or five men, later two or
three men. Still later Michaelis had to ask the last stranger to wait
there fifteen minutes longer, while he went back to his own place and made
a pot of coffee. After that, he stayed there alone with Wilson until dawn.
The Great Gatsby |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Rape of Lucrece by William Shakespeare: Into so bright a day such black-fac'd storms,
Or blot with hell-born sin such saint-like forms.
The well-skill'd workman this mild image drew
For perjur'd Sinon, whose enchanting story
The credulous Old Priam after slew;
Whose words, like wildfire, burnt the shining glory
Of rich-built Ilion, that the skies were sorry,
And little stars shot from their fixed places,
When their glass fell wherein they view'd their faces.
This picture she advisedly perus'd,
And chid the painter for his wondrous skill;
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