| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: head rigid, face forward; but his eyes rolled, he kept on lifting
and setting down his feet gently, his mouth foamed a little.
`Keep quiet!' I said in a fury. I might just as well have
ordered a tree not to sway in the wind. I darted out.
Below me there was a great scuffle of feet on the iron deck;
confused exclamations; a voice screamed, `Can you turn back?'
I caught sight of a V-shaped ripple on the water ahead.
What? Another snag! A fusillade burst out under my feet.
The pilgrims had opened with their Winchesters, and were
simply squirting lead into that bush. A deuce of a lot
of smoke came up and drove slowly forward. I swore at it.
Heart of Darkness |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Danny's Own Story by Don Marquis: "Shut up," says the old gentleman, very quiet.
"Take the bay mare and go for Doctor Po'ter."
Then he comes to the wagon and says:
"So they got yo', Bud? Yo' WOULD go night-
riding like a rowdy and a thug! Are yo' much
hurt?"
He said it easy and gentle, more than mad.
But Bud, he flushed up, pale as he was, and didn't
answer his dad direct. He turned to his mother
and said:
"Miss Lucy, dear, it would 'a' done yo' heart
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson: In letters gold and azure!' which was wrought
Thereafter; but when now the lords and dames
And people, from the high door streaming, brake
Disorderly, as homeward each, the Queen,
Who marked Sir Lancelot where he moved apart,
Drew near, and sighed in passing, 'Lancelot,
Forgive me; mine was jealousy in love.'
He answered with his eyes upon the ground,
'That is love's curse; pass on, my Queen, forgiven.'
But Arthur, who beheld his cloudy brows,
Approached him, and with full affection said,
|
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum: shovel a path. Would you like to come with me?"
"Yes," she said, and followed the Bumpy Man out when he
opened the door. Then she exclaimed: "Why, it isn't cold
a bit!"
"Of course not," replied the man. "It was cold last
night, before the snowstorm; but snow, when it falls, is
always crisp and warm."
Trot gathered a handful of it.
"Why, it's popcorn?" she cried.
"Certainly; all snow is popcorn. What did you expect it
to be?"
The Scarecrow of Oz |
