| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Aspern Papers by Henry James: His own country after all had had most of his life, and his muse,
as they said at that time, was essentially American.
That was originally what I had loved him for: that at a period
when our native land was nude and crude and provincial,
when the famous "atmosphere" it is supposed to lack was not
even missed, when literature was lonely there and art and form
almost impossible, he had found means to live and write like one
of the first; to be free and general and not at all afraid;
to feel, understand, and express everything.
V
I was seldom at home in the evening, for when I attempted to
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Tapestried Chamber by Walter Scott: admitted them at a modern Gothic lodge, built in that style to
correspond with the castle itself, and at the same time rang a
bell to give warning of the approach of visitors. Apparently the
sound of the bell had suspended the separation of the company,
bent on the various amusements of the morning; for, on entering
the court of the chateau, several young men were lounging about
in their sporting dresses, looking at and criticizing the dogs
which the keepers held in readiness to attend their pastime. As
General Browne alighted, the young lord came to the gate of the
hall, and for an instant gazed, as at a stranger, upon the
countenance of his friend, on which war, with its fatigues and
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Summer by Edith Wharton: "What are you doing in the dark?" he called out in a
cheerful voice. Charity made no answer. He went up to
the window to draw the blind, and putting his finger on
the wall flooded the room with a blaze of light from
the central chandelier. In this unfamiliar
illumination husband and wife faced each other
awkwardly for a moment; then Mr. Royall said: "We'll
step down and have some supper, if you say so."
The thought of food filled her with repugnance; but not
daring to confess it she smoothed her hair and followed
him to the lift.
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