| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: manner: in reality as surprised as she was, and anxious to
ascertain the truth of her statement; for to see the master looking
glad would not be an every-day spectacle. I framed an excuse to go
in. Heathcliff stood at the open door; he was pale, and he
trembled: yet, certainly, he had a strange joyful glitter in his
eyes, that altered the aspect of his whole face.
'Will you have some breakfast?' I said. 'You must be hungry,
rambling about all night!' I wanted to discover where he had been,
but I did not like to ask directly.
'No, I'm not hungry,' he answered, averting his head, and speaking
rather contemptuously, as if he guessed I was trying to divine the
Wuthering Heights |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane: that there coat and them pants on for six months,
and yet you talk as if--"
"Well, I wanta do some fighting anyway,"
interrupted the other. "I didn't come here to
walk. I could 'ave walked to home--'round an'
'round the barn, if I jest wanted to walk."
The tall one, red-faced, swallowed another
sandwich as if taking poison in despair.
But gradually, as he chewed, his face became
again quiet and contented. He could not rage
in fierce argument in the presence of such sand-
The Red Badge of Courage |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin by Robert Louis Stevenson: only obstructions. Sixty, seventy, eighty, a hundred, a hundred
and twenty revolutions at last, my little engine tears away. The
even black rope comes straight out of the blue heaving water:
passes slowly round an open-hearted, good-tempered looking pulley,
five feet diameter; aft past a vicious nipper, to bring all up
should anything go wrong; through a gentle guide; on to a huge
bluff drum, who wraps him round his body and says "Come you must,"
as plain as drum can speak: the chattering pauls say "I've got
him, I've got him, he can't get back:" whilst black cable, much
slacker and easier in mind and body, is taken by a slim V-pulley
and passed down into the huge hold, where half a dozen men put him
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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 King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: GLOUCESTER.
As good!
Thou bastard of my grandfather!
WINCHESTER.
Aye, lordly sir; for what are you, I pray,
But one imperious in another's throne?
GLOUCESTER.
Am I not protector, saucy priest?
WINCHESTER.
And am not I a prelate of the church?
GLOUCESTER.
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