| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The House of Dust by Conrad Aiken: Here,--as I coil the stems between two leaves,--
It is as if, dwindling to atomy size,
I cried the secret between two universes . . .
A friend of mine took hasheesh once, and said
Just as he fell asleep he had a dream,--
Though with his eyes wide open,--
And felt, or saw, or knew himself a part
Of marvelous slowly-wreathing intricate patterns,
Plane upon plane, depth upon coiling depth,
Amazing leaves, folding one on another,
Voluted grasses, twists and curves and spirals--
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Emma by Jane Austen: of his coming to Randalls again this spring. But, on the other hand,
she could not admit herself to be unhappy, nor, after the
first morning, to be less disposed for employment than usual;
she was still busy and cheerful; and, pleasing as he was, she could
yet imagine him to have faults; and farther, though thinking of him
so much, and, as she sat drawing or working, forming a thousand
amusing schemes for the progress and close of their attachment,
fancying interesting dialogues, and inventing elegant letters;
the conclusion of every imaginary declaration on his side was that she
refused him. Their affection was always to subside into friendship.
Every thing tender and charming was to mark their parting;
Emma |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Research Magnificent by H. G. Wells: king in this earth. KING. I'm not mad. . . . I see the world
staggering from misery to misery and there is little wisdom, less
rule, folly, prejudice, limitation, the good things come by chance
and the evil things recover and slay them, and it is my world and I
am responsible. Every man to whom this light has come is
responsible. As soon as this light comes to you, as soon as your
kingship is plain to you, there is no more rest, no peace, no
delight, except in work, in service, in utmost effort. As far as I
can do it I will rule my world. I cannot abide in this smug city, I
cannot endure its self-complacency, its routine, its gloss of
success, its rottenness. . . . I shall do little, perhaps I shall
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