Dead Poets Society: Why writing is so wonderful

Dead Poets Society was released in 1989 and directed by Peter Weir. The film is adapted from a novel by the same name released in 1988 and written by Nancy H. Kleinbaum. 

The movie takes place at an elite, old-fashioned, all-boys boarding school in New England. A passionate English teacher, played by Robin Williams, inspires his students to rebel against the conventional ways of thinking and seize the potential of everyday life.

I love this movie so much, not just as an enjoyer of good films, but as a writer as well. I apologize if this review feels more like a personal reflection on why I love it than a traditional review. 

There are many moments in this film I love, but Robin Williams’ monologue about poetry hits a very special place in my heart.

“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. 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. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?” Robin Williams said, performing asRobin Williams said, performing as John Keating..

Many of us in communications, art, or other less traditional majors often feel judged by family, friends, or those in *serious* fields — all majors are serious —, who ask, “What are you going to do with a degree in ____?”

I used to just say, “I don’t know” — and I still say that from time to time—because in reality, I really don’t know exactly what I will be doing after graduation. However, I get so emotional watching the scene in Dead Poets Society where Keating says “…medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”

It’s true that the world will always need more doctors and engineers, but we also always need more artists, more writers, more journalists. Calling these professions unprofessional is just plain stupid.

Could you imagine your life if your favorite author never wrote that book, or an album you love was never made. Where would you be today? I think I’d be a whole lot more depressed than I am currently. 

We need reasons beyond the necessities to truly live, and anyone who says otherwise is probably lying. Which is why what you do, or want to do, is so damn important. 

Keating continues, “That you are here – that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

That last line, “What will your verse be?” might as well be the nail in the coffin for what makes me openly tear up while watching this movie. The way Keating looks at the character Todd Anderson (played by Ethan Hawke), a character who I also very much identify with, is just so important to me.

For such a long time in my life, I had no idea what I wanted to do. It made me anxious thinking about my future, dreading being a burden on my parents because I wasn’t good at anything. 

It wasn’t until I took a creative writing class as part of my general education at Fresno City College that I discovered writing might be something I’m good at.

I still remember a comment from my teacher, Jeff Tannen, on a paper I did well on. Something along the lines about it could easily be an article for the Rolling Stone.

Little did Mr. Tannen know how much that compliment meant to me. He was my Robin Williams that day. 

It wasn’t until later I discovered that journalism was a good avenue for me. Regardless, the moral of the story is, the path to achieving what you want isn’t always linear. The sooner you realize that, the happier you will be. After all, whatever your verse may be, it’s yours—and that’s what truly matters.

Julia is a journalism major at Cal Poly Humboldt. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd. To quote Robin Williams in her all-time favorite movie, Dead Poets Society, “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”