"A professor is someone who talks in someone else's sleep"

This quote by W. H. Auden is a funny method of explaining a professor's function in the classroom. It indicates that a teacher is somebody who speaks and lectures on a topic, but the students are not really taking note. They are in a state of sleep, not actively engaging with the material. This quote likewise recommends that a professor's words are not necessarily being absorbed and understood by the trainees. It indicates that the teacher is talking with an audience that is not truly listening, and that the teacher's words are not having the desired impact. This quote is a funny method of highlighting the disconnect in between a professor and their trainees.