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It has been recognized by some critics that Robert Hass has an ambivalent stance concerning the power and limits of language. Well aware of the limits of language, Hass has had a tendency to use many sharp images in his poetry and has established a firm reputation for them. However, in his latest volume of poetry, Time and Materials, images clash with lengthy descriptions and statements in some individual poems and generally throughout the book. This paper discusses the relationship between Hass’s poetic devices and his epistemology in Time and Materials. While the images of Hass’s poetry evoke the sensuous aspects of the world very effectively, they have limitations in dealing with complex historical and political matters. Well aware of this, Hass turns to the use of descriptions and statements in many poems. And as his poetic career matures, he is writing more poems on historical and political matters employing more descriptions and statements, rather than using images.