| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad: deliberately an ample horizontal gesture, a dignified sweep, and
Cesar would go over suddenly like a ninepin - which was funny to
see. But, once down, he would writhe on the deck, gnashing his
teeth in impotent rage - which was pretty horrible to behold. And
it also happened more than once that he would disappear completely
- which was startling to observe. This is the exact truth. Before
some of these majestic cuffs Cesar would go down and vanish. He
would vanish heels overhead into open hatchways, into scuttles,
behind up-ended casks, according to the place where he happened to
come into contact with his uncle's mighty arm.
Once - it was in the old harbour, just before the Tremolino's last
The Mirror of the Sea |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Passion in the Desert by Honore de Balzac: a cry that froze my heart; and I saw her dying, still looking at me
without anger. I would have given all the world--my cross even, which
I had not got then--to have brought her to life again. It was as
though I had murdered a real person; and the soldiers who had seen my
flag, and were come to my assistance, found me in tears.'
" 'Well sir,' he said, after a moment of silence, 'since then I have
been in war in Germany, in Spain, in Russia, in France; I've certainly
carried my carcase about a good deal, but never have I seen anything
like the desert. Ah! yes, it is very beautiful!'
" 'What did you feel there?' I asked him.
"'Oh! that can't be described, young man! Besides, I am not always
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