| 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: Kurtz had been educated partly in England, and--as he was good
enough to say himself--his sympathies were in the right place.
His mother was half-English, his father was half-French. All
Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz; and by and by I
learned that, most appropriately, the International Society
for the Suppression of Savage Customs had intrusted him
with the making of a report, for its future guidance.
And he had written it, too. I've seen it. I've read it.
It was eloquent, vibrating with eloquence, but too high-strung,
I think. Seventeen pages of close writing he had found time for!
But this must have been before his--let us say--nerves, went wrong,
Heart of Darkness |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Taras Bulba and Other Tales by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol: set things to rights, took the chief of police's place, and, sweeping
all the snuff from his upper lip with his nose, pushed Ivan Ivanovitch
in the opposite direction. In Mirgorod this is the usual manner of
effecting a reconciliation: it somewhat resembles a game of ball. As
soon as the judge pushed Ivan Ivanovitch, Ivan Ivanovitch with the one
eye exerted all his strength, and pushed Ivan Nikiforovitch, from whom
the perspiration streamed like rain-water from a roof. In spite of the
fact that the friends resisted to the best of their ability, they were
nevertheless brought together, for the two chief movers received
reinforcements from the ranks of their guests.
Then they were closely surrounded on all sides, not to be released
Taras Bulba and Other Tales |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Another Study of Woman by Honore de Balzac: formerly gave lustre to the errors of some women. But though one may
not have saved a King of France, one is not the less an Agnes Sorel.
Do you believe that our dear Marquise d'Espard is not the peer of
Madame Doublet, or Madame du Deffant, in whose rooms so much evil was
spoken and done? Is not Taglioni a match for Camargo? or Malibran the
equal of Saint-Huberti? Are not our poets superior to those of the
eighteenth century? If at this moment, through the fault of the
Grocers who govern us, we have not a style of our own, had not the
Empire its distinguishing stamp as the age of Louis XV. had, and was
not its splendor fabulous? Have the sciences lost anything?"
"I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly
|
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 Tarzan the Untamed by Edgar Rice Burroughs: found us here. We could not hope to hide from them."
He placed Smith-Oldwick, with his pistol, at the north open-
ing of their haven and told Otobu to stand with his spear at
the Englishman's shoulder, while he himself prepared to guard
the southern approach. Between them he had the girl lie down
in the sand. "You will be safe there in the event that they use
their spears," he said.
The minutes that dragged by seemed veritable eternities to
Bertha Kircher and then at last, and almost with relief, she
knew that the pursuers were upon them. She heard the angry
roaring of the lions and the cries of the madmen. For several
Tarzan the Untamed |
