| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Witch, et. al by Anton Chekhov: People have grown weak, exceedingly weak. Take me, for instance .
. . I am not worth a halfpenny, I am the humblest peasant in the
whole village, and yet, young man, I have strength. Mind you, I
am in my seventies, and I tend my herd day in and day out, and
keep the night watch, too, for twenty kopecks, and I don't sleep,
and I don't feel the cold; my son is cleverer than I am, but put
him in my place and he would ask for a raise next day, or would
be going to the doctors. There it is. I eat nothing but bread,
for 'Give us this day our daily bread,' and my father ate nothing
but bread, and my grandfather; but the peasant nowadays must have
tea and vodka and white loaves, and must sleep from sunset to
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Phaedrus by Plato: the want of method in physical science, the want of criticism in history,
the want of simplicity or delicacy in poetry, the want of political
freedom, which is the true atmosphere of public speaking, in oratory. The
ways of life were luxurious and commonplace. Philosophy had become
extravagant, eclectic, abstract, devoid of any real content. At length it
ceased to exist. It had spread words like plaster over the whole field of
knowledge. It had grown ascetic on one side, mystical on the other.
Neither of these tendencies was favourable to literature. There was no
sense of beauty either in language or in art. The Greek world became
vacant, barbaric, oriental. No one had anything new to say, or any
conviction of truth. The age had no remembrance of the past, no power of
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Father Sergius by Leo Tolstoy: did not experience any sensual desire for her. On the contrary
he regarded her with tender adoration as something unattainable.
He rose to his full height, standing before her with both hands
on his sabre.
'I have only now realized what happiness a man can experience!
And it is you, my darling, who have given me this happiness,' he
said with a timid smile.
Endearments had not yet become usual between them, and feeling
himself morally inferior he felt terrified at this stage to use
them to such an angel.
'It is thanks to you that I have come to know myself. I have
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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 Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad: like the Sephora."
I had become so connected in thoughts and impressions with the secret
sharer of my cabin that I felt as if I, personally, were being
given to understand that I, too, was not the sort that would
have done for the chief mate of a ship like the Sephora.
I had no doubt of it in my mind.
"Not at all the style of man. You understand," he insisted,
superfluously, looking hard at me.
I smiled urbanely. He seemed at a loss for a while.
"I suppose I must report a suicide."
"Beg pardon?"
The Secret Sharer |
