Dead Poets Society Essay, Research Paper

Carpe Diem; seize the day capture it by the ears. Dead Poets Society the movie focuses on this phrase. Suck the marrow out of life according to Mr. Keating. This phrase meant to not ever let a day pass with out you. Problems such as death of a student Neil Perry, the expulsion of Nwanda and Keating fired were all the negative things that happened because of this philosophy. There were some good things such as Todd learning to speak publicly and finding his voice ; Knox tried harder to get the girl of his dreams.

The group of students who formed the Dead Poets Society recited Thoreau’s quote in the beginning of each of their meetings because they believed what Keating was telling them, and wanted to start to exercise what he was saying. The students that go to the school are under total control of their parents, and are monitored by the school; their lives are already put together for them. When Keating gave them the idea of seizing the day and the knowledge of the Dead Poets Society, this inspires them. This secret society was for the students to read poetry and look at it along with everyday issues with a different perspective. When Keating was a student at Welton Prep, he was a part of the Dead poet’s society and became the person he is trying to teach his students to be. During one of Keating’s lessons, he tells the boys to rip out pages from their poetry book. That lesson taught the boys to be free minded and that there is no way to tell how good poetry is. Everyone should see poetry differently. The Dead Poets Society relates to the poem because it teaches the boys to live the way they want to live and not be told what to do.

The way Mr. Keating taught was successful in the way that he made his students realize that they need to live their own lives. . An example is when he teaches the boys “Carpe Diem (Seize the day).” In the film, Knox repeatedly says that when he is trying to win over a girl. Keating is successful because he teaches Knox to go after what he wants and Knox was persistent enough to keep at it and winds up getting her. Todd the new boy who starts off shy and unwilling to join in finds his voice , his barbaric yawp . From the teachings of Mr. Keating and his, famous words of Seize the Day . A further example is when Neil decides to be an actor in a play. Even though his father is against it, Neil does is anyway cause he knows he has what it takes and he feels he has nothing to lose. I feel that if Keating did not teach his students to be themselves, Neil would have never gone against his father and he would have never enjoyed his life.

When Neil kills himself at the end I think the blame is on his father because he would not let him do what he wants to do in his heart, he wasn t being supportive of his sons wants. I feel that Keating had a very positive influence on him. Because of Keating s teachings, his students learned to live their own lives to the fullest

I think someone who did not fully understand the meaning of Seize the Day was Charles Dalton or Nwanda his new name. Nwanda did not fully comprehend what Mr. Keating was saying about suck the marrow out of life and Make your life extraordinary . I think he twisted those word to his own likings and created his own version of Seize the day into, be rebellious and don t listen to anyone else do your own thing! He showed his naiveness by receiving a phoney phone call from god in assembly and putting a article in the school news paper stating that Welton should admit girls. Also the character Cameron chose not to take in Seize the Day . He was someone who liked to obey the rules. He was basically a square and did not seem to enjoy Mr. Keating s classes. After Neil died Cameron became more distant to the rest of the group and revealed that he really didn t like the Dead Poets Society in the first place.

After Neil Perry s death, the school had decided to discharge Mr. Keating, because they assumed it was his fault. Cameron had told the principal who was involved in the Dead Poets Society. There was a tiff between Nwanda and Cameron. Nwanda got in trouble. Knox, Nwanda and Todd were forced to sign a declaration blaming Mr. Keating for Neil s death. They all did except for Nwanda, who then got expelled. The Dead Poets Society died but the sprit of the boys lived on.

In this movie, many occurrences take place that question whether or not Keating’s lessons were appropriate and successful. Mr. Keating taught about how life should not be lived under someone s control. He taught that people should live their lives the way they want to live them, and not to have anyone else make decisions for them. It shows us the consequences and benefits of Seizing the Day . In the world we live in today, people take a lot more control of their own life for the most part. There are still rules and regulations, but almost everyone lives the way the want to, regardless of the penalties.