| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tess of the d'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman by Thomas Hardy: aspect her d'Urberville descent was a fact of great
dimensions; worthless to economics, it was a most
useful ingredient to the dreamer, to the moralizer on
declines and falls. It was a fact that would soon be
forgotten--that bit of distinction in poor Tess's blood
and name, and oblivion would fall upon her hereditary
link with the marble monuments and leaded skeletons at
Kingsbere. So does Time ruthlessly destroy his own
romances. In recalling her face again and again, he
thought now that he could see therein a flash of the
dignity which must have graced her grand-dames; and the
Tess of the d'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy: did your work, and were orderly."
"That's impossible for the likes of us," said a sharp-nosed old
man. "You say, 'Why do you let the horse get into the corn?' just
as if I let it in. Why, I was swinging my scythe, or something of
the kind, the livelong day, till the day seemed as long as a
year, and so I fell asleep while watching the herd of horses at
night, and it got into your oats, and now you're skinning me."
"And you should keep order."
"It's easy for you to talk about order, but it's more than our
strength will bear," answered a tall, dark, hairy middleaged man.
"Didn't I tell you to put up a fence?"
Resurrection |
