Wordsworth and Schubert Katie Sprigg, Eric Johnson, David Lang, and Keira Kirby

I thought the direction in the film was awesome Ð good handoffs, site orientation, and zooms, etc. Ð and the acting was surprisingly well executed Ð its hard to look into a camera with as little indifference as all of you, H2O, were able to do. Good Job!

First of all, let me congratulate this group for an impressive presentation. An aberration that quickly indicated thought, hard work, and of course, creativity. The entire presentation progressed well, each presenting individually with some sort of link between Wordsworth and Schubert; which provided some clarification within the group membersÕ thoughts. I also appreciated the four distinct outlooks each member of the group had to offer; power, purification, sustenance, and life Ð all of which furthered my understanding of WordsworthÕs poems and SchubertÕs songs.

SpriggÕs portion of the performance, however, was the most interesting to me. She spoke of water as the material for purification of the mind, body, and soul. The simplicity with which she announced her observation made me wonder why I was so negligent to interpret such virtuous thoughts. Her translation was, to say the least, elegant. She explained that WordsworthÕs poetry allowed him to be purified as he wrote, and allows us to be purified as we read Ð I think it makes complete sense. The more understanding of purity that one has, the more one can become pure. And the same holds true for Schubert and his songs. What can be more pure than clean, clear, fresh water trickling down mountains of rock and foliage, always taking the simplest route and always going to the lowest point that it can possibly go. Altogether, water receives no shame or no glory for itÕs unassuming behavior, and as a society with a mentality of win or lose, I feel we admire and aspire to the clarity and innocence of trickling water.

Good Job H2O!!!!!!

James M. McGarry

The most compelling in-class presentation was the video produced by Keira, Eric, Katie, and David. Rather than sharing their ideas about nature in a stuffy classroom, they chose a natural surrounding, which provided the perfect stage for their creative responses to Wordsworth and Schubert. Although the video was generic, the content expressed by the participants was excellent. In particular, I enjoyed their reflections on water as a life force in nature.

Another impressive contribution to their presentation was the song set to the poetry of Wordsworth. For my presentation, I wanted to set Blake's "A Cradle Song" to music; however, my group decided on a different approach. I was thus worried no groups would write songs of their own using the poems as lyrics. This group did just that. Furthermore, the poem was a perfect selection, and the song itself was wonderfully written.

Finally, the tone of the video was appropriate. The actors were corny in their dialogue; the audience aware the actors knew they were making a video for a grade. This allowed the audience to focus on the ideas expressed in the presentation rather than worry about an underlying plot to their movie.

Overall, the group did a wonderful job; providing food and drink never hurts an audience either!

Nicholas Shantar

The presentation by group six interested me the most mainly because I had not eaten lunch that day and they gave out free pretzels. Not only was the presentation satisfying to my stomach; it also stimulated my mind. The video they put together expressed the many symbolic meanings of water and how they exhibit human relationships with nature. First of all, they stated that water may be found in many different states throughout nature. For example, a small amount of water peacefully meandering through the mountains may be very pacifying, but eventually it reaches the ocean where it becomes powerful and dangerous. This reminds humans that although they can enjoy the pleasures of the environment, they must never forget the destructive capabilities of nature. This reminds me of the age-old question of whether Man needs society to protect him from nature or if society corrupts his relationship with it. I am of the opinion that society draws ManÕs attention away from the lessons of nature. Through conformity to societies wishes Man is incarcerated, doomed to live among the evils generated by a people who have turned their back on nature and their creator. On the contrary, nature contains no evil and no sin. These terms were created along with man and stamped everywhere in his path of destruction. Throughout valleys, mountains, and plains Man has planted the seeds of evil and the beast has flourished. Peace and tranquillity have been replaced with murder, sin, and hatred. However, the battle is not over. If Man does not learn to live within nature, nature will fight back. With natureÕs destruction of man the world will be renewed.

Jeremy Guidotti