When I reached the vestibule of my apartment building, the campus police closed in on me. I heard Professor Edelstein shout, it's okay, he's a poet. Matter of fact, the best black ... the best poet writing today. The cops instantly backed off. I was protected by poetic immunity. I had permission to act crazy.
In a tense moment, the narrator finds himself cornered by campus police upon arriving at his apartment building. Just as the situation intensifies, his professor, Edelstein, intervenes by declaring his worth as a poet, emphasizing his stature in the literary world. This proclamation creates an immediate shift, causing the police to retreat and defusing the tension surrounding the encounter.
The incident highlights the power of art and recognition, suggesting that the narrator's identity as a poet grants him a unique form of protection. It illustrates the concept of "poetic immunity," where his artistic status allows him to navigate societal expectations and react differently in potentially volatile situations, embracing the freedom to express himself without fear.
