The 1989 film Dead Poets Society is truly a timeless movie. Taking place in 1959 at the rigorous boys-only boarding school, Welton Academy, the high schoolers are expected to follow the traditions of the prestigious school and take on its challenging academic demands. 

Welton receives a shock when the boys are introduced to their new English teacher, John Keating, who was also a Welton graduate. A small group of students stumble upon Mr. Keating’s school year annual, which called him many things, but mainly the founder of the “Dead Poets Society”.

The boys follow in Keating’s ways, letting poetry and passion become a major part of their lives. Each boy learns lessons from Keating about challenging authority, allowing them to be free thinkers, and encouraging them to carpe diem – seize the day. 

In the 11th grade Honors English classes at NASH, this film was recently shown to students as a part of the curriculum, and it has sparked the interest of many. 

“My first time seeing Dead Poets Society was a roller coaster of emotions in a good way,” said junior Sofia Hladio. “Although the characters were hard to differentiate at first, I grew to love them and what each stands for. I had been meaning to watch it for a while because everyone I had spoken to about it was very connected to it and it felt like a rite of passage.”

Dead Poets Society has been shown in the English classrooms for many years now and counting; and although the movie came out 37 years ago, students and teens in general still find ways to connect and resonate with it. The main question though is why this movie in particular?

One of NASH’s Honors English 3 teachers, Mrs. Long, offered her insight.

“I think that it resonates because of the messaging of kids being able to have a voice and pursue their passions.” she said. “I think this is perfect for this stage in high school because a lot of kids are thinking about what’s next. The messaging that the boys get is that they can choose their own path and it does not have to be a prefabricated one.”

Each of the main seven boys in this movie take the road less traveled in their own ways, contributing to many themes that high school students in particular can relate to.

1. Carpe Diem – This Latin term is one of the main themes of this movie. Mr. Keating teaches this ideology to his students, hoping that they will one day make their lives extraordinary. The first day after he introduces this idea, the boys collectively think he is weird and indifferent, though, as time moves on, the friends begin to understand and implement this idea into their lives.

One example, Neil Perry (played by Robert Sean Leonard) discovers a breakthrough in himself and makes it his dream goal and pursuit to be an actor, despite an ambitious and unwanted duty of becoming a doctor being thrust upon him by his parents. He recalls Keating’s teachings, declaring he will audition for the town’s play and shouting out “whether my father wants me to or not! Carpe diem!” Seeing the transition between unknowingness to sudden, passionate discovery, especially when it is coming from a character in high school, is relieving for teens. 

2. “Let’s Have A Party” – Contrary to the boys’ rendition of Welton’s four pillars – travesty, horror, decadence, excrement – Keating preaches that in order to truly succeed in life, you must live it to the fullest, even when others may think it is odd. He makes many references to poets throughout the film, yet one from Henry David Thoreau stands out to the majority of the characters: “I wanted to live deep and suck all the marrow out of life…and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” 

The small group of friends become known as “the dead poets”, taking on Keating’s high school ritual and leaving school grounds late at night to read poetry in a cave. They begin to realize the joy that is brought from spending time with one another and reciting works of 18th century poets. They go on and try to “suck all the marrow” out of their individual lives and make each day worth living, even if it means breaking some school rules. 

Two of the poets, Steven Meeks (Allelon Ruggiero) and Gerard Pitts (James Waterston) carefully craft a radio in order to listen to music, even though it is forbidden to have such machines at Welton. However, they do it anyway because it brings them happiness. 

According to a study from BrainFacts, teenagers “taking risks enhances activation in the prefrontal cortex, giving it an opportunity to “practice” exerting emerging skills such as impulse control, future planning, and emotion regulation.” In today’s world, one can see less of a pursuit of happiness amongst many, but mostly adolescents, but in reality, daring choices are very healthy for the brain. Welton can learn a thing or two!

3. Choking on the Bone – While in the journey of self-discovery, it is inevitable, yet also necessary, to have failures. Throughout the movie, hopeless romantic, Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles), relentlessly pursues a girl, Chris, even though she is dating another boy. Knox disregards this, repeating to himself “carpe diem,” and ignoring her demands that he stops seeing her. While Knox is a very bad example of what to do to woo women, his character is needed. Knox is an example of what happens when one does not fully understand the meaning of carpe diem, and what one must do in order to right their wrongs, which he did, and in the end winning Chris’ love.

Another instance is Charlie Dalton’s (Gale Hanssen) “phone call from God”. Charlie, a fearless and charismatic poet, thinks the Dead Poets Society is not living to their full potential. In an act of rebellion against Welton and to give the Society attention, he submits an article for the school paper, demanding that girls should be allowed to enroll at Welton. He gets intensely punished, almost expelled, and now their illicit midnight poetry sessions are out in the open. When Mr. Keating meets with Charlie, Charlie was under the impression that Mr. Keating would have liked what he did, however Mr. Keating responds, “Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone. Sure there’s a time for daring and there’s a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for.”

4. I Was Really Good – Many teenagers today feel immense pressure from parental and societal expectations. Neil Perry is the sole victim of this in the movie, but a slightly overlooked poet, Richard Cameron (Dylan Kussman), also suffers from this as well. Cameron does what he thinks is right and confesses his and his friends’ involvement in the Dead Poets Society, earning him approval from the headmaster and his parents, yet receiving a punch in the nose from Charlie and allowing conformity to consume him.

In a study from RelationalPsych, psychologist Dr. Carly Claney stated, “Ultimately, most parents simply want the best for their children. But in our achievement-obsessed culture, it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters for kids’ long-term happiness and well-being.” In Cameron’s case, he never really enjoys the time he had with Neil or the other boys because he is so caught up in if it were what other teachers would want from him, causing his actions of submitting to the headmaster in the end of the movie.

5. O Captain, My Captain – It is on rare occasion that a singular teacher can wholeheartedly change a student’s or many students’ lives. But, when it does happen, it is magical. That is the case for Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke), a painfully shy boy whom Mr. Keating helps tremendously.

Through the Dead Poets Society and Keating coaching him through a poetry recital in front of the class, Todd is able to come out of his shell of fear. Todd can barely read an excerpt during class in the beginning of the movie, but by the end, he stands on his desk in front of his peers, who eventually join him, publicly thanking Mr. Keating for his services to the school.

These stand out themes portray multiple characters and situations that high school students of any decade or era can relate to. 

A Dead Poets Society enthusiast, junior Mila Martinec, explained why she thinks this movie is a must-watch.

“The film has a beautiful way of expressing the meaning of individuality and life itself.” she stated. “This film directly speaks to me because it demonstrates that expressing vulnerability allows for deeper connections that add value to one’s life. It offers a very empowering message that I feel all teenagers deserve to understand.”

Despite Dead Poets Society being a relatively old movie, it still remains one of the main coming-of-age movies teens continue to gravitate to. While it is required for students watch this film in the curriculum, it is their choice to allow this movie to brighten their minds and fill their soul. Additionally, according to the wise words of Keating, it is essential to learn the true importance of poetry, beauty, romance, and love, because in the end, it is what the human race stays alive for.