| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Master of the World by Jules Verne: pangs which now assailed my stomach, I began to wonder if I had not
been snatched on board the "Terror" two days before,--or even more.
Happily the question if they meant to feed me, and how they meant to
feed me, was solved at once. The man at the bow left his post,
descended, and reappeared. Then, without saying a word, he placed
some food before me and returned to his place. Some potted meat,
dried fish, sea-biscuit, and a pot of ale so strong that I had to mix
it with water, such was the meal to which I did full justice. My
fellow travelers had doubtless eaten before I came out of the cabin,
and they did not join me.
There was nothing further to attract my eyes, and I sank again into
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Jolly Corner by Henry James: the treacheries of uncertain light, the evil-looking forms taken in
the gloom by mere shadows, by accidents of the air, by shifting
effects of perspective; putting down his dim luminary he could
still wander on without it, pass into other rooms and, only knowing
it was there behind him in case of need, see his way about,
visually project for his purpose a comparative clearness. It made
him feel, this acquired faculty, like some monstrous stealthy cat;
he wondered if he would have glared at these moments with large
shining yellow eyes, and what it mightn't verily be, for the poor
hard-pressed ALTER EGO, to be confronted with such a type.
He liked however the open shutters; he opened everywhere those Mrs.
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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 The Rape of Lucrece by William Shakespeare: This plot of death when sadly she had laid,
And wip'd the brinish pearl from her bright eyes,
With untun'd tongue she hoarsely call'd her maid,
Whose swift obedience to her mistress hies;
For fleet-wing'd duty with thought's feathers flies.
Poor Lucrece' cheeks unto her maid seem so
As winter meads when sun doth melt their snow.
Her mistress she doth give demure good-morrow,
With soft-slow tongue, true mark of modesty,
And sorts a sad look to her lady's sorrow,
(For why her face wore sorrow's livery,)
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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 My Antonia by Willa Cather: she blazed out indignantly.
`You'll have to do one thing or the other, Antonia,' Mrs. Harling
told her decidedly. `I can't go back on what Mr. Harling has said.
This is his house.'
`Then I'll just leave, Mrs. Harling. Lena's been wanting me to get a place
closer to her for a long while. Mary Svoboda's going away from the Cutters'
to work at the hotel, and I can have her place.'
Mrs. Harling rose from her chair. `Antonia, if you go to
the Cutters' to work, you cannot come back to this house again.
You know what that man is. It will be the ruin of you.'
Tony snatched up the teakettle and began to pour boiling
My Antonia |
