| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass: never having seen any authentic record containing it.
By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of
their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish
of most masters within my knowledge to keep their
slaves thus ignorant. I do not remember to have ever
met a slave who could tell of his birthday. They
seldom come nearer to it than planting-time, harvest-
time, cherry-time, spring-time, or fall-time. A want
of information concerning my own was a source of
unhappiness to me even during childhood. The white
children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from New Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson: Love but my dog and love my love,
Adore with me a common star -
I value not the rest above
The ashes of a bad cigar.
TO MISS CORNISH
THEY tell me, lady, that to-day
On that unknown Australian strand -
Some time ago, so far away -
Another lady joined the band.
She joined the company of those
Lovelily dowered, nobly planned,
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy: from Elizabeth-Jane aroused her. "Have you seen him,
mother?" whispered the girl.
"Yes, yes," answered her companion hastily. "I have seen
him, and it is enough for me! Now I only want to go--pass
away--die."
"Why--O what?" She drew closer, and whispered in her
mother's ear, "Does he seem to you not likely to befriend
us? I thought he looked a generous man. What a gentleman he
is, isn't he? and how his diamond studs shine! How strange
that you should have said he might be in the stocks, or in
the workhouse, or dead! Did ever anything go more by
The Mayor of Casterbridge |
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 American by Henry James: to cultivate in Mrs. Tristram a marked tendency to irony.
Her taste on many points differed from that of her husband,
and though she made frequent concessions it must be
confessed that her concessions were not always graceful.
They were founded upon a vague project she had of some day
doing something very positive, something a trifle passionate.
What she meant to do she could by no means have told you;
but meanwhile, nevertheless, she was buying a good conscience,
by installments.
It should be added, without delay, to anticipate misconception,
that her little scheme of independence did not definitely
|
