| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: I had gone dumb, I could only stare at her.
"Oh, I see, you agree. No friend of hers could deny."
"Madame," I burst out, "I don't know where a question of friendship
comes in here with a person whom you yourself call so exceptional.
I really don't know how she looks upon me. Our intercourse is of
course very close and confidential. Is that also talked about in
Paris?"
"Not at all, not in the least," said Mrs. Blunt, easy, equable, but
with her calm, sparkling eyes holding me in angry subjection.
"Nothing of the sort is being talked about. The references to Mme.
de Lastaola are in a very different tone, I can assure you, thanks
The Arrow of Gold |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Art of Writing by Robert Louis Stevenson: of reason; and (again if they have any gift of reading) they
will end by seeing that this old gentleman was in a dozen
ways a finer fellow, and held in a dozen ways a nobler view
of life, than they or their contemporaries.
The next book, in order of time, to influence me, was the New
Testament, and in particular the Gospel according to St.
Matthew. I believe it would startle and move any one if they
could make a certain effort of imagination and read it
freshly like a book, not droningly and dully like a portion
of the Bible. Any one would then be able to see in it those
truths which we are all courteously supposed to know and all
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Divine Comedy (translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) by Dante Alighieri: "O company elect to the great supper
Of the Lamb benedight, who feedeth you
So that for ever full is your desire,
If by the grace of God this man foretaste
Something of that which falleth from your table,
Or ever death prescribe to him the time,
Direct your mind to his immense desire,
And him somewhat bedew; ye drinking are
For ever at the fount whence comes his thought."
Thus Beatrice; and those souls beatified
Transformed themselves to spheres on steadfast poles,
The Divine Comedy (translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) |
