| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Rescue by Joseph Conrad: know? It seems to me you are making trouble for yourself as fast
as you can."
"Well, supposing I am," said Lingard with sudden gloominess.
"Would your men fight if I armed them properly?"
"What--for you or for themselves?" asked Carter.
"For the woman," burst out Lingard. "You forget there's a woman
on board. I don't care THAT for their carcases."
Carter pondered conscientiously.
"Not to-night," he said at last. "There's one or two good men
amongst them, but the rest are struck all of a heap. Not
to-night. Give them time to get steady a bit if you want them to
The Rescue |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Octopus by Frank Norris: thoughtful, and without articulate comment. Even after it passed
he sat in his place a long time, watching it lose itself slowly
in the distance, its prolonged rumble diminishing to a faint
murmur. Soon he heard the engine sounding its whistle for the
Long Trestle.
But the moving train no longer carried with it that impression of
terror and destruction that had so thrilled Presley's imagination
the night before. It passed slowly on its way with a mournful
roll of wheels, like the passing of a cortege, like a file of
artillery-caissons charioting dead bodies; the engine's smoke
enveloping it in a mournful veil, leaving a sense of melancholy
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