| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Complete Poems of Longfellow by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: From thy hand, O King!"
"Thou art but a poor diviner,"
Straightway Olaf said;
"Take my bow, and swifter, Einar,
Let thy shafts be sped."
Of his bows the fairest choosing,
Reached he from above;
Einar saw the blood-drops oozing
Through his iron glove.
But the bow was thin and narrow;
At the first assay,
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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 Symposium by Xenophon: Herm. Then you possess large property in land?
Ant. Enough, I daresay, for the youngster there, Autolycus, to dust
himself withal.[19]
[19] i.e. "to sprinkle himself with sand, after anointing." Cf.
Lucian, xxxviii., "Amor." 45.
Well, we will lend you our ears, when your turn comes (exclaimed the
others).
Soc. And do you now tell us, Charmides, on what you pride yourself.
Oh, I, for my part, pride myself on poverty (he answered).
Upon my word, a charming business! (exclaimed Socrates). Poverty! of
all things the least liable to envy; seldom, if ever, an object of
The Symposium |
