| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass: seeming. Not a blow was given me during the whole year. To the
credit of Mr. Freeland--irreligious though he was--it must be
stated, that he was the best master I ever had, until I became my
own master, and assumed for myself, as I had a right to do, the
responsibility of my own existence and the exercise of my own
powers. For much of the happiness--or absence of misery--with
which I passed this year with Mr. Freeland, I am indebted to the
genial temper and ardent friendship of my brother slaves. They
were, every one of them, manly, generous and brave, yes; I say
they were brave, and I will add, fine looking. It is seldom the
lot of mortals to have truer and better friends than were the
My Bondage and My Freedom |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Prufrock/Other Observations by T. S. Eliot: As if the world gave up
The secret of its skeleton,
Stiff and white.
A broken spring in a factory yard,
Rust that clings to the form that the strength has left
Hard and curled and ready to snap.
Half-past two,
The street lamp said,
"Remark the cat which flattens itself in the gutter,
Slips out its tongue
And devours a morsel of rancid butter."
Prufrock/Other Observations |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: certain, my lord, that he will not remain ungrateful for
that money, without taking into account, I repeat, that I
retain the acknowledgments."
"It is a strange affair! usury in a matter of benevolence."
"Do not mix yourself up with it, monseigneur; if there be
usury, it is I who practice it, and both of us reap the
advantage from it -- that is all."
"Some intrigue, D'Herblay?"
"I do not deny it."
"And Baisemeaux an accomplice in it?"
"Why not? -- there are worse accomplices than he. May I
Ten Years Later |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: for he greatly dreaded lest one of the Achaeans might run
upon him with his blade, and stab him as he drew forth the
spear, or smite him with a down stroke {*} of the sword. So
he started and ran and came quickly to his father, and
stood by him, and spake winged words:
{* Or, reading [Greek], smite him as he stooped over the
corpse.}
'Father, lo, now I will bring thee a shield and two spears
and a helmet all of bronze, close fitting on the temples,
and when I return I will arm myself, and likewise give arms
to the swineherd and to the neatherd yonder: for it is
The Odyssey |
