The Power of the Pen

A Different World

Dwayne struggles with an assignment for poetry class, as the students must compose their own verses. William Shakespeare appears to him in a dream and stresses that his pursuit of a career in math does not mean that he cannot also appreciate poetry. He encourages Dwayne to write about something for which he feels passion. Whitley reads Dwayne's beautiful poem and believes that it is about her. She is angry and embarrassed when the rest of the class interprets the poem differently; it is actually about Dwayne's love of mathematics. Freddie juggles dates with environmentalist Livingston and Ron's handsome friend Ernest. Although neither relationship is exclusive, she feels guilty until she sees Livingston with another girl.