| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Soul of Man by Oscar Wilde: still lingers. In fact, it does more than linger; it is
aggressive, offensive, and brutalising.
In England, the arts that have escaped best are the arts in which
the public take no interest. Poetry is an instance of what I mean.
We have been able to have fine poetry in England because the public
do not read it, and consequently do not influence it. The public
like to insult poets because they are individual, but once they
have insulted them, they leave them alone. In the case of the
novel and the drama, arts in which the public do take an interest,
the result of the exercise of popular authority has been absolutely
ridiculous. No country produces such badly-written fiction, such
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot: must be remembered that Germany is responsible for the supply of
the majority of such craft for the Austnan armies, that country
purchasing these vessels in large numbers, because in the early
days of the conflict it was notoriously weak in this arm. Since
the declaration of war strenuous efforts have been made to remedy
this state of affairs, particularly upon the unexpected
revelation of Russia's aerial strength.
It is computed that upon the outbreak of war the various Powers
were in the position to show an aggregate of 4,980 aircraft of
all descriptions, both for active service and reserve. This is a
colossal fleet, but it serves to convey in a graphic manner the
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Altar of the Dead by Henry James: "I know what you've done," said Stransom "I know what you've done
for years." For a moment they looked at each other through it all
with their long community of service in their eyes. This short
passage made, to his sense, for the woman before him, an immense,
an absolutely naked confession; which was presently, suddenly
blushing red and changing her place again, what she appeared to
learn he perceived in it. He got up and "How you must have loved
him!" he cried.
"Women aren't like men. They can love even where they've
suffered."
"Women are wonderful," said Stransom. "But I assure you I've
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