CARPE DIEM

“Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are all noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life.

 But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”

The above quote was delivered by Mr. John Keating, played by Robin Williams, in Peter Weir’s 1989 American drama Dead Poets Society, which won an Academy Award in the subsequent year. "It is an uncynical, idealistic and hopeful film," The Guardian. The story revolves around an English poetry teacher, Mr. Keating, striving to make his students to find their own voice and “… to live deep and suck out all the marrow out of life!”

On the first day of their classes, the students are told by the new English teacher to rip out the introduction of their poetry books which explained a mathematical formula used for rating poetry, to make the students to think for themselves. In this lesson only, we first hear the remarkable Latin expression, Carpe Diem. They were also told to take turns standing on Keating's desk who wanted them to  look at life in their own unique way.

One of his students, Neil Perry, a young, eager and passionate soul, finds out about the unauthorised Dead Poets Society, of which Mr. Keating was a member during his school days at the academy. Driven by passion to find his own voice and to live deliberately, Neil restarts the club with his peers. They would meet in an Indian cave, miles away from the academy, and read works from the greats like Henry David Thoreau, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Walt Whitman among others.  The members would even recite their own work sometimes. Keating once explained the point of conformity, “We all have a great need for acceptance. But you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular, even though the herd may go that's baaaaad.” This statement particularly inspired Neil to swim against the stream. To follow his passions and dreams.

Unfortunately, Neil’s dad had orthodox beliefs and wanted him to become a doctor. And as a consequence of some unexpected and tragic events, Neil commits suicide. He gives in. This was closely followed by the leaving of Mr. Keating from the academy and one of his students, Charlie Dalton, getting expelled. But… this is not how the movie ends. All the students pay respect to their teacher by standing on their desks, and saying, “O Captain, my Captain”. Keating was successful in having an impact on these young minds. Not only Keating, but Neil and Charlie too had passed on a Legacy which allowed these once shy, introverted peers to stand up to their beliefs and to think for themselves.

To quote from Whitman, “O me! O life! … of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless… of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?”

 “Answer. That you are here — that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.

What will your verse be?”