The movie Dead Poets Society follows a group of boys in an all-boys boarding school called Welton Academy. On the first day, the boys go through their typical schedule, but one class in particular stands out. As they take their seats in their English class, professor John Keating enters, and their world changes. Through his unique lesson plans, his class becomes so much more than just reading textbooks and sitting at a desk.
There are two very recognizable lines in Dead Poets Society. One of them is “Carpe diem,” which means seize the day. This is used by Mr. Keating to tell his students to follow what they are passionate about, and it gives the main character Neil Perry and the rest of the Dead Poets Society the little extra push from someone who finally believes in them.
The next is a line from Walt Whitman, “O Captain, my Captain!”
This quote, said by Mr. Keating, is a very recognizable line from Dead Poets Society. When he first says this at the beginning of the movie, the students brush it off and laugh. However, by the end of the movie, this line holds power and addresses the fact that Mr. Keating had changed the students’ lives forever. Mr. Keating’s lines were touching and left me with new perspectives that made me want to rewatch this movie sometime again in the future. I loved all of the characters and how complex they were; it was clear that the movie had a deeper meaning. This movie was thought-provoking and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.
The movie is centered around Neil Perry, who finds Mr. Keating’s old yearbook from when he was a student at Welton Academy a long time ago. Neil finds that Mr. Keating was a part of a group called the Dead Poets Society. However, it was shut down because of all the trouble they caused. Neil decides to start up the club again, and he convinces some of his classmates and friends to join.
The group becomes finalized with Todd, Charlie, Meeks, Knox, Pitts, and Cameron. They each have their unique, vivid personalities and they all become an important piece of the Dead Poets Society. They sneak out at night to have meetings in a cave, and they read poetry while sharing laughs and appreciating the love for literature that Mr. Keating has instilled in them.
As the boys navigate their own hardships, the Dead Poets Society becomes a safe space where they are able to find purpose and support each other. After the school authorities find out that the Dead Poets Society has started up again, they threaten to expel the students that are in it and start an investigation. Through this, the boys learn the importance of free thinking and questioning authority, realizing what Mr. Keating has been trying to teach them all along.
This movie is beautifully posed, and there is so much to take away from it. It feels like Mr. Keating wasn’t only addressing the students, but the viewers as well. After one of the heartbreaking choices that one of the characters makes (if you’ve watched it, you know), I was left wondering why he chose to do that. However, after some reflection, I realized that this character was rightfully following Mr. Keating’s words—that the point of life is to love and to feel. This movie has been around for a while and is still popular to this day; I can understand why. I recommend Dead Poets Society for everyone to watch or even rewatch.
