When the "poem" was first connected to BTK, the "original" used by the Prof was published. Although BTK mangled it a bit, it did appear to be an attempt at quoting the same text that had been "read to the class." BTK apparently had no "metaphorical" meaning in mind. He meant, literally, brutal and actual death. The bodies, we're told, were sadistically mutilated. BTK means Bind - Torture - Kill, according to BTK.

The connection to the professor, aside from the mangled attempt to quote from the poem, consists only of his use of the initials, "for P. J." or something similar in one of his notes. "P. J." could be a reference to the prof, but it's far from being a verified conclusion. The poem likely connects directly to the professor, as it's unlikely that something that "dark" would come up except in such a class. It's entirely possible that BTK only heard someone who took the class quoting from the poem and remembered his garbled version of part of it. The reference to "P. J." may be a "misdirection," since he seems to have included a number of "false clues" in his hints to the police.

Someone who took the class, and remembers quoting the poem elsewhere, especially if someone showed an "interest" in it, would be as likely to be helpful as one who remembers all of the people who took the class. The police interviewed all "accessible" persons who took the professor's classes, when the "poem" first appeared 20 years ago - and took samples from all of the typewriters in the department at the university to see if they could match up one on which his notes might have been written. There were a dozen or so students who were "not available" then, so it's still possible someone might connect something.

John