| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Iliad by Homer: an onion to give relish to the drink, with honey and cakes of
barley-meal. There was also a cup of rare workmanship which the
old man had brought with him from home, studded with bosses of
gold; it had four handles, on each of which there were two golden
doves feeding, and it had two feet to stand on. Any one else
would hardly have been able to lift it from the table when it was
full, but Nestor could do so quite easily. In this the woman, as
fair as a goddess, mixed them a mess with Pramnian wine; she
grated goat's milk cheese into it with a bronze grater, threw in
a handful of white barley-meal, and having thus prepared the mess
she bade them drink it. When they had done so and had thus
The Iliad |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: but continued his preparations for departure, washing the dishes,
rolling the blankets, and moving about in his usual way of easy
and visible good nature.
"Six o'clock, already," said Balaam, saddling the horses. "And
we'll not get started for ten minutes more." Then he came to
Pedro. "So you haven't quit fooling yet, haven't you?" he
exclaimed, for the pony shrank as he lifted the bridle. "Take
that for your sore mouth!" and he rammed the bit in, at which
Pedro flung back and reared.
"Well, I never saw Pedro act that way yet," said the Virginian.
"Ah, rubbish!" said Balaam. "They're all the same. Not a bastard
The Virginian |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Confessio Amantis by John Gower: Thus grante I yow myn hole vois,
Ches for ous bothen, I you preie;
And what as evere that ye seie, 1830
Riht as ye wole so wol I."
"Mi lord," sche seide, " grant merci,
For of this word that ye now sein,
That ye have mad me soverein,
Mi destine is overpassed,
That nevere hierafter schal be lassed
Mi beaute, which that I now have,
Til I be take into my grave;
Confessio Amantis |
