| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: something great--ideas, work--it's all dust and ashes."
s."
"But all that's as old as the hills, my boy!"
"It is old; but do you know, when you grasp this fully, then
somehow everything becomes of no consequence. When you understand
that you will die to-morrow, if not to-day, and nothing will be
left, then everything is so unimportant! And I consider my idea
very important, but it turns out really to be as unimportant too,
even if it were carried out, as doing for that bear. So one goes
on living, amusing oneself with hunting, with work--anything so
as not to think of death!"
Anna Karenina |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Laches by Plato: determined that we would go, and get you to accompany us; and we were
intending at the same time, if you did not object, to take counsel with you
about the education of our sons. That is the matter which we wanted to
talk over with you; and we hope that you will give us your opinion about
this art of fighting in armour, and about any other studies or pursuits
which may or may not be desirable for a young man to learn. Please to say
whether you agree to our proposal.
NICIAS: As far as I am concerned, Lysimachus and Melesias, I applaud your
purpose, and will gladly assist you; and I believe that you, Laches, will
be equally glad.
LACHES: Certainly, Nicias; and I quite approve of the remark which
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Oscar Wilde Miscellaneous by Oscar Wilde: spontaneity and character of Wilde's style if he had tried to
harmonise it with the diction demanded by the French Academy. It
was never composed with any idea of presentation. Madame Bernhardt
happened to say she wished Wilde would write a play for her; he
replied in jest that he had done so. She insisted on seeing the
manuscript, and decided on its immediate production, ignorant or
forgetful of the English law which prohibits the introduction of
Scriptural characters on the stage. With his keen sense of the
theatre Wilde would never have contrived the long speech of Salome
at the end in a drama intended for the stage, even in the days of
long speeches. His threat to change his nationality shortly after
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