| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan by Honore de Balzac: to endure in your literary life; but we, alas! cannot defend ourselves
either by our works or by our fame. The world will not believe us to
be what we are, but what it thinks us to be. It would soon have hidden
from his eyes the real but unknown woman that is in me, behind the
false portrait of the imaginary woman which the world considers true.
He would have come to think me unworthy of the noble feelings he had
for me, and incapable of comprehending him."
Here the princess shook her head, swaying the beautiful blond curls,
full of heather, with a touching gesture. This plaintive expression of
grievous doubts and hidden sorrows is indescribable. Daniel understood
them all; and he looked at the princess with keen emotion.
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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 Reef by Edith Wharton: following the line he had traced in behaving, till the final
moment came, as though there were nothing more to say...
That moment seemed at last to be at hand when, at her usual
hour after dinner, Madame de Chantelle rose to go upstairs.
She lingered a little to bid good-bye to Darrow, whom she
was not likely to see in the morning; and her affable
allusions to his prompt return sounded in Anna's ear like
the note of destiny.
A cold rain had fallen all day, and for greater warmth and
intimacy they had gone after dinner to the oak-room,
shutting out the chilly vista of the farther drawing-rooms.
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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 Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart: Norada, Wyoming, in the fall of 1911. I saw my sister there
several times, and as she knew the way I felt she was frightened.
My mother, Hattie Thorwald, was a sort of maid to her, and together
they tried to get me to go away."
Bassett looked up.
"Up to that point," he said, "I wrote it myself before I saw him."
There was a note of triumph in his voice. "The rest is his."
"On the night Lucas was killed I was to go away. Bev had agreed
to give me some money, for the piece had quit in June and I was
hard up. She was going to borrow it from Jud Clark, and that set
me crazy. I felt it ought to be mine, or a part of it anyhow.
The Breaking Point |
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 A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift: being entirely of our own growth and manufacture.
Fourthly, The constant breeders, besides the gain of eight
shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children, will
be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year.
Fifthly, This food would likewise bring great custom to taverns,
where the vintners will certainly be so prudent as to procure the
best receipts for dressing it to perfection; and consequently
have their houses frequented by all the fine gentlemen, who
justly value themselves upon their knowledge in good eating; and
a skilful cook, who understands how to oblige his guests, will
contrive to make it as expensive as they please.
A Modest Proposal |
