| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Dark Lady of the Sonnets by George Bernard Shaw: THE BEEFEATER. What strain of music, sir? I'm no musician, God
knows.
THE MAN. There is music in your soul: many of your degree have it
very notably. _[Writing]_ "Frailty: thy name is woman!"
_[Repeating it affectionately]_ "Thy name is woman."
THE BEEFEATER. Well, sir, it is but four words. Are you a snapper-up
of such unconsidered trifles?
THE MAN. _[eagerly]_ Snapper-up of-- _[he gasps]_ Oh! Immortal
phrase! _[He writes it down]._ This man is a greater than I.
THE BEEFEATER. You have my lord Pembroke's trick, sir.
THE MAN. Like enough: he is my near friend. But what call you his
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: And even as when most welcome to his children is the sight
of a father's life, who lies in sickness and strong pains
long wasting away, some angry god assailing him; and to
their delight the gods have loosed him from his trouble; so
welcome to Odysseus showed land and wood; and he swam
onward being eager to set foot on the strand. But when he
was within earshot of the shore, and heard now the thunder
of the sea against the reefs--for the great wave crashed
against the dry land belching in terrible wise, and all was
covered with foam of the sea,--for there were no harbours
for ships nor shelters, but jutting headlands and reefs and
The Odyssey |
