The teacher placed a C- paper in front of a demur woman wearing a white gown. “Miss Dickinson, the em dash is not a user-friendly form of punctuation. It seems you’re capitalizing every other word. It looks ridiculous. Your poem shows merit, so I am loaning you,â€? now she put a grammar book in front of the woman, “and I shall find another for Mr. Cummings.â€?

“Mr. Frost,â€? she cooed, “again, your poem suited the form chosen. I think that having the having the last two lines be the same was a cop-out, though. It cost you a full letter grade.â€? The page she put on the desk had a red “Bâ€? on it. “Mr. Sandberg!â€? She shouted abruptly at a man in the back of the room. “I saw you throw that paper airplane at Mr. Frost! Go to the principal’s office. Now!â€?

She stopped at the desk of a young, well-dressed, mustachioed young man. This page did not have a grade at all, merely a large question mark. The teacher sighed loudly. “These two lines are a nice beginning, but where’s the rest of it? I see. Try again, Mr. Pound.â€?