| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: "I have seen him, my lord. Within three hours he will be here."
Throughout the palace, doors were opening and closing and portieres
were swaying as if in a high wind, with the coming and going of many
persons; there was a murmur of voices; sounds of the moving of heavy
furniture could be heard, and the rattle of silver plates and dishes.
From the highest tower a loud blast upon a conch summoned from far and
near all the slaves belonging to the castle.
CHAPTER II
The ramparts were thronged with people when at last Vitellius entered
the castle gates, leaning on the arm of his interpreter. Behind them
came an imposing red litter, decorated with plumes and mirrors. The
Herodias |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The House of Dust by Conrad Aiken: Yet you, too, all have had your dark adventures,
Your sudden adventures, or strange, or sweet . . .
My peril goes out from me, is blown among you.
We loiter, dreaming together, along the street.
V. RETROSPECT
Round white clouds roll slowly above the housetops,
Over the clear red roofs they flow and pass.
A flock of pigeons rises with blue wings flashing,
Rises with whistle of wings, hovers an instant,
And settles slowly again on the tarnished grass.
And one old man looks down from a dusty window
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Betty Zane by Zane Grey: and black smoke rolled heavenward; every object seemed dyed a deep crimson;
the trees assumed fantastic shapes; the river veiled itself under a red glow.
Above the roaring and crackling of the flames rose the inhuman yelling of the
savages. Like demons of the inferno they ran to and fro, their naked painted
bodies shining in the glare. One group of savages formed a circle and danced
hands-around a stump as gayly as a band of school-girls at a May party. They
wrestled with and hugged one another; they hopped, skipped and jumped, and in
every possible war manifested their fiendish joy.
The British took no part in this revelry. To their credit it must be said they
kept in the background as though ashamed of this horrible fire-war on people
of their own blood.
Betty Zane |
