| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Lay Morals by Robert Louis Stevenson: disenchantment; in a day or two she can steal all beauty from
the mountain tops; and the most startling words begin to fall
dead upon the ear after several repetitions. If you see a
thing too often, you no longer see it; if you hear a thing
too often, you no longer hear it. Our attention requires to
be surprised; and to carry a fort by assault, or to gain a
thoughtful hearing from the ruck of mankind, are feats of
about an equal difficulty and must be tried by not dissimilar
means. The whole Bible has thus lost its message for the
common run of hearers; it has become mere words of course;
and the parson may bawl himself scarlet and beat the pulpit
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Rescue by Joseph Conrad: brig. Carter turned a little in his seat to look at the land. It
loomed up dead to leeward like a lofty and irregular cone only a
mile or a mile and a half distant. The noise of the surf beating
upon its base was heard against the wind in measured detonations.
The fatigue of many days spent in the boat asserted itself above
the restlessness of Carter's thoughts and, gradually, he lost the
notion of the passing time without altogether losing the
consciousness of his situation.
In the intervals of that benumbed stupor--rather than sleep--he
was aware that the interrupted noise of the surf had grown into a
continuous great rumble, swelling periodically into a loud roar;
The Rescue |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: moment of her release from him was ecstasy.
She danced next with an officer, and had the refreshment of
talking of Wickham, and of hearing that he was universally liked.
When those dances were over, she returned to Charlotte Lucas,
and was in conversation with her, when she found herself
suddenly addressed by Mr. Darcy who took her so much by
surprise in his application for her hand, that, without knowing
what she did, she accepted him. He walked away again
immediately, and she was left to fret over her own want of
presence of mind; Charlotte tried to console her:
"I dare say you will find him very agreeable."
Pride and Prejudice |
