| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Snow Image by Nathaniel Hawthorne: " 'Tis the same face, to a hair!" cried one man, cutting a caper
for joy.
"Wonderfully like, that's a fact!" responded another.
"Like! why, I call it Old Blood-and-Thunder himself, in a
monstrous looking-glass!" cried a third. "And why not? He's the
greatest man of this or any other age, beyond a doubt."
And then all three of the speakers gave a great shout, which
communicated electricity to the crowd, and called forth a roar
from a thousand voices, that went reverberating for miles among
the mountains, until you might have supposed that the Great Stone
Face had poured its thunderbreath into the cry. All these
The Snow Image |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: Now one stumbled against the corpse of him whom
Carthoris had slain. The fellow stooped and his hand
came in contact with the cleft skull. He saw about him
the giant figures of other green men, and so he jumped
to the only conclusion that was open to him.
"The Thurds!" he cried. "The Thurds are upon us!
Rise, warriors of Torquas, and drive home your swords
within the hearts of Torquas' ancient enemies!"
Instantly the green men began to fall upon one another
with naked swords. Their savage lust of battle was
aroused. To fight, to kill, to die with cold steel
Thuvia, Maid of Mars |
