In the back row a girl scribbles furiously in a fancy journal. Against the far wall a young man in sweat pants and a Minnesota Twins hat snores quietly—his desk empty, except for his head.
This shows vivid imagery because it directly explains how the young man is dressed, what he is doing, and what the girl is doing. The author uses vivid verbs such as scribbles furiously and snores which set up a scene
Professor Stevens, uh, I grew up on a farm. No one wants to read about that. My hero is Hunter S. Thompson.
This shows that he possibly has a limited knowledge of modern poems because Stevens tests his knowledge by asking him a few questions later in the passage
“But Professor Stevens, I want to write complicated poems.” Stevens picks up his chalk and turns back to the board: CORN IS COMPLICATED.
This section, once again shows how Professor Stevens does not care what the students think but only what he thinks, He is forcing them to write about corn and when someone objects saying corn is not complicated he disagrees.
“Asstetics. You know, beauty and stuff.” Dumbfounded but hardly surprised
This reaction by Stevens shows that he does not care much for the arts or beauty. He seems like a strict man who only hears what he wants to hear
“Write down the name of your favorite poet and five things you know something about,” Stevens commands. “You have five minutes.”
This shows that he is strict and gets straight to the point because it has only been a minute or two and he has already given them an assignment. The author also uses the word "commands" which implies that he said it in a strict manner.
Fridays he breakfasts at Burger King before heading out to the lake,
This shows that he has a routine that he goes through every friday morning. This shows that he is person who is very organized and follows a strict schedule/routine