The Brilliant Classroom Scene

The words of the title Splendour in the Grass [or splendor if you are american] have a most definite association with "wild oats" specifically a Ryan's Daughter style first real sexual experience IN nature and away from the American Beauty.

that is true for 1920s, 1960s and even now [though the commodification of sex in the American Beauty has of course removed any thought of spontaneity, as depicted by the foul mouthed frigid virgin Angela Hayes - depicting the 50 years on version of Lolita Haze].

it was probably true in 1700s BUT that was NOT what Wordsworth was writing about - and here is the first clever bit that Miss Teacher truncated the poem title from "Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood" to "Intimations of Immortality", ie HER first Freudian Slip, ie she SUBCONSCIOUSLY does in fact equate the poem to sexual splendour BECAUSE she herself missed her own wild oats 20 years before which is why she is a Miss [and a (bitchy) schoolteacher].

Remember this was 8 years before the small f feminist takeover in 1970 at which time Miss and Mrs got converted to MS so as such matters might be better hidden.

now the poem is 209 lines but the lines Miss Teacher reads start way up at 180 or so, meaning she has subconsciously honed in on the part that reflects her own misery and posed questions on that to the class [but of course reverting back to the true Wordsworth meaning (little kiddies being enthused by Mother Nature)].

so Miss Teacher starts the lesson after observing [with regret] the usual pre class "wild oats laden scene" of Bud and Deedie [or W-E her name is], but Miss Teacher senses maybe this time there is trouble afoot [and she can do some bossing/bullying]

whatever, she goes for the jugular and after posing her question to the class she asks Deedie to answer.

Deedie is totally pre-occupied with her problems and misses the question, which allows Miss Teacher to get really nasty, finally asking her to stand to read the passage, then explain it.

at that stage Miss Teacher sees herself in full control as if she is Miss Jean Brodie in her Prime [yet to be committed to film] and if she expects any answer at all it would be the one Wordsworth was extolling re little kiddies.

BUT Deedie turns all that on its head and answers in a manner that exposes Miss Teacher's Freudian Slip, with the climax [npi] being "but when we get older", visibly shaking Miss Teacher to her corsets.

great movie-making folks! - and totally "holding up" to this day.

http://www.kindleflippages.com/ablog/