“William Carlos William’s poetry is first on your syllabus. Now, give me a word and I’ll give you a relative image. You there, the boy with the I love breasts t-shirt.”

“Alcoholic” he says, proud of himself. His classmates roll their eyes. Balled up paper is thrown at him.

“Flushed cheeks glazed in sweat.”

“Dissolve” a girl shouts out.

“Cotton candy touching water.”

“Home” yells someone.

“That word is highly subjective. Good job. My idea of home is likely different from yours. I’d describe my wife. Home isn’t a house or a structure. It’s wherever she is.”

“Jubilation, sycophant, eschew, miasma” rain down from all levels of the stadium seating. The students vie for their professors’ attention.

“ok, ok, that’s enough. What is unique to an image? Color. Shape and size can be felt. Proximity can be heard. Ezra Pound’s definition is; to use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation. For 10% of your final grade, write a single image exactly one page long. Class is dismissed.”