Hi Cameron, 

I would like to commend you on your blog about Richard Westall’s 1811 painting, “Landscape-Solitude. I can see that this piece was written with a clear understanding of the context in which nature is used to illustrate a connection with the land. This expression captures the artist’s ideas and sense of emotion about life, meaning and the impact of one’s surroundings and atmosphere. 

This was a deeply vivid and powerful visual analysis of the artwork. Your description captured the mood and the layers of complexity within this painting, emphasising the notion of a desolate and unearthly aura. Your use of language and word choice, such as ghoulish, decaying, dilapidation further amplify the loneliness and gloom which you are describing. 

In the second paragraph, I liked how you personified nature describing the ‘greedy roots of the trees, who reach, claw and grasp for the murky water that sits just below’. This paragraph strongly intertwined various earthly elements in including roots, stream, water and the moss. I think this helped to create strong visual impressions of the land in the mind of the reader. 

The tone and depth of your expression perfectly complement the overwhelmingly dark and heavy atmosphere which the artist sought to capture. This is a very creative and well-written blog and I enjoyed reading your thoughts and ideas about this painting. 

All the best 

Nancy

Hi Cameron, 

I would like to commend you on your blog about Richard Westall’s 1811 painting, “Landscape-Solitude. I can see that this piece was written with a clear understanding of the context in which nature is used to illustrate a connection with the land. This expression captures the artist’s ideas and sense of emotion about life, meaning and the impact of one’s surroundings and atmosphere. 

This was a deeply vivid and powerful visual analysis of the artwork. Your description captured the mood and the layers of complexity within this painting, emphasising the notion of a desolate and unearthly aura. Your use of language and word choice, such as ghoulish, decaying, dilapidation further amplify the loneliness and gloom which you are describing. 

In the second paragraph, I liked how you personified nature describing the ‘greedy roots of the trees, who reach, claw and grasp for the murky water that sits just below’. This paragraph strongly intertwined various earthly elements in including roots, stream, water and the moss. I think this helped to create strong visual impressions of the land in the mind of the reader. 

The tone and depth of your expression perfectly complement the overwhelmingly dark and heavy atmosphere which the artist sought to capture. This is a very creative and well-written blog and I enjoyed reading your thoughts and ideas about this painting. 

All the best,

Nancy

Peer Review 3 – Blog #3 Richard Westall Painting – “Landscape-Solitude by Cameron Cole

https://cameroncole.home.blog/2020/04/07/in-words-either-poetry-or-prose-vividly-describe-one-of-the-paintings-that-you-saw-on-our-virtual-tour-of-the-gallery-last-week/

Hi Georgia, 

Your letter to your childhood self was an absolute delight to read. This is such a personal and inspired reflection, which is beautifully written to young Georgia. You capture the essence and meaning of William Wordsworth’s poem ‘My Heart Leaps Up’, and you eloquently applied it to your own childhood memories and recollections. You brought nature to life on a page and I thought this was a beautiful touch. Your blog was warm, heartfelt and insightful and gave us a glimpse into the life of little Georgia and how she used to connect with and embrace nature in the way of looking at the glowing stars, pink frangipanis and dewy leaves.

Using imagery, you vividly describe how one can so easily and unknowingly lose the connection with nature and the simplistic luxuries which life and nature offer us as we become consumed by the mundane demands and expectations of everyday life. This is as relevant now more than ever in the fast-paced world in which we live. 

Your work is filled with wisdom and originality and your connection with the past, precious moments you describe are a reminder to us of the power, joy and importance of innocence, imagination and appreciation. It’s a reminder to yourself and those of us reading your blog that you held on to the precious little moment that Wordsworth was referring to. 

Thank you for sharing your heartfelt, Wordsworth inspired letter with us. 

All the best,

Nancy

Peer Review 2 – Blog #2: Letter to my Child-Self  by Georgia Houlihan 

https://georgiahoulihan.wordpress.com

Hi Huzaifa,

I thought your blog Wise Passiveness is a terrific and insightful read. Your interpretation and understanding of the phrase are very well articulated. I feel like you captured the essence of Wordsworth’s meaning perfectly in your impression that wise passiveness is, “a situation where a moment is so pronounced and bold that it requires no contribution or active participation.”

Your personal reflections and experience illustrate your understanding of the ideas which Wordsworth was trying to express. I can see that these unique moments resonate with you when you relate to nature in solitude. The notion that knowledge and wisdom are obtained from a relationship which exists through nature highlights the idea that fulfillment, awareness, and understanding can be acquired by living life in the present moment.

This is a great read Huz, well done. I have followed your blogs in our previous semester of American literature and your expression and understanding of literature are always so well-articulated.

I look forward to reading more of your work throughout the semester.

All the best,
Nancy

Peer Review 1 – Blog #1: Wise Passiveness by Huzaifa Shakir

https://huzaifasblog.home.blog/category/20th-century-literature/

Hi Teneille, 

I love your deep insight and understanding of Ezra Pound’s poem ‘In a Station of the Metro’. You articulate and express a deep and genuine connection with the poem and you extract such an in-depth meaning from a poem with its simplistic and minimal in form. The power within your blog is your ability to extract and visually translate the elements and link them not only with meaning but with nature, and the environment as well. 

You thoroughly associated the title of the poem with the limited elements and discussed and drew a relationship between the meaning of the title and the limited context of the poem itself. 

I guess this was Pound’s intention when constructing a poem minimalistic in form yet enriched with meaning and which emphasises humanities lack of connection to nature in the developing world. I particularly enjoyed our exploration into modernism. Reading your entry amplifies and enhanced my understanding and connection to Ezra Pound poetry. 

Your expression is well articulated and your language and elaborate descriptions make this an insightful and enjoyable blog to read. Thank you for sharing your insight. Great work. 

Peer Review 4 – Ezra Pounds “In a Station of the Metro” by Teneille Jacobs

Ezra Pounds “In a Station of the Metro”