Act 1; Scene 4

• This scene takes place at one of Alma's "intellectual meetings." John has agreed to come, and I believe he will show up.
• Mrs. Bassett is SO obnoxious! She has something to say about everything, and most of the time what she says is terribly rude and inappropriate! I don't know how Alma has the patience to continue on with her meeting with Mrs. Bassett interjecting every few seconds.
  
• John shows up just after the minutes.
• Alma puts off the verse play until cooler weather and Miss Rosemary is to read a paper on William Blake, the poet.
• Miss Rosemary stops reading because Mrs. Bassett keeps interrupting her. Mrs. Bassett considers William Blake a "mad fanatic." Mrs. Bassett claims to have read up on William Blake and believes he went into a drunkard's grave. She quickly discovers she is wrong.
• Alma reads one of Blake's "loveliest lyric poems."
  
  Never seek to tell thy love,
  Love that never told can be,
  For the gentle wind doth move
  Silently, invisibly.
  I told my love, I told my love,
  I told him all my heart.
  Trembling, cold in ghastly fear
  Did my love depart.
  No sooner had he gone from me
  Than a stranger passing by,
  Silently, invisibly,
  Took him with a sigh!
  
  I love this poem. It is saying that it is best not to tell someone of your love for them, or they will leave you in fear. The love that can be is kept silent and never spoken of. If you tell your lover everything you feel, they will leave you for someone who will give them the silent love they desire. The second you open up with your lover, they are sure to depart from you in fear of things being too serious. Maybe what happens later in the play will reflect what Blake was talking about in this poem.
  
  
• John leaves in a hurry.
  
• Miss Rosemary tries to read her paper but is again stopped by Mrs. Bassett.
  
• Mrs. Bassett makes an inappropriate comment that suggests that John is seeing Rosa Gonzales.
  
• When Alma reacts strongly to Mrs. Bassett's statement, Mrs. Bassett suggests that Alma has fallen for the young doctor!
• Alma tells everyone how disappointed she is that gave such bad impressions in front of their guest.
  
• The meeting is adjourned.
• I feel bad for Alma. I know she was really excited about John coming. I'm sure it upset her greatly that he left and the evening didn't go as planned. I really hope Mrs. Bassett isn't in any other part of the play. She is so irritating!