The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The War in the Air by H. G. Wells: Hohenzollern and its widow's garment of dishevelled silk for a
time, but without any idea of its containing any living thing; it
was all so twisted and smashed and entirely upside down. Then
for a while he gazed at the evening sky. A cloud haze was now
appearing and not an airship was in sight. A swallow flew by and
snapped some invisible victim. "Like a dream," he repeated.
Then for a time the rapids held his mind. "Roaring. It keeps on
roaring and splashin' always and always. Keeps on...."
At last his interests became personal. "Wonder what I ought to
do now?"
He reflected. "Not an idee," he said.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Songs of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson: XXXIV. TO MY OLD FAMILIARS - Do you remember - can we e'er forget?
XXXV. The tropics vanish, and meseems that I
XXXVI. TO S. C. - I heard the pulse of the besieging sea
XXXVII. THE HOUSE OF TEMBINOKA - Let us, who part like brothers, part
like bards
XXXVIII. THE WOODMAN - In all the grove, not stream nor bird
XXXIX. TROPIC RAIN - As the single pang of the blow, when the metal is
mingled well
XL. AN END OF TRAVEL - Let now your soul in this substantial world
XLI. We uncommiserate pass into the night
XLII. Sing me a song of a lad that is gone
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