Carpe diem

known films that broke the fourth wall and actually spoke to the audience, throughout the film Ferris randomly gives advice about skipping school and faking being sick. Now this comedic tale gives a surprisingly hard hitting theme in a sense. “Carpe Diem” the…

poets before; all seeming to agree that death is a natural type of rest; one in which everything is left in mystery. Contrary to others the author, Dylan Thomas believed that death should not consume the indivdual; in a dark twist to the ordinary “Carpe Diem” poems. His own inspiration for this type of poem would be the coming death of his bed-ridden father; which he later titled…

Well, have no fear, because Dead Poets Society contains its fair share of them. I felt that the most interesting plot twist occurred towards the end of the movie, where Neil (Robert Sean Leonard) commits suicide after finally caving in from all of the pressure his father had put on him. This was a twist that I didn’t see coming and I felt that it was fresh to see something that deviated from the standard plot. I’m not saying I like suicide; I’m just saying I like a refreshing story. A second…

Discipline can often lead to rebellion. One may feel that if they are restricted from certain freedoms, they would then do anything in their power to fly under or over the radar to do as they please weather good or bad. In the film, “Dead Poet Society” by Peter Weir, there are two boys by the name of Neil and Charlie who are fellow students at an all-male Vermont prep school led by a strict headmaster who wants to maintain tradition, honor, discipline and excellence in the school as much as…

to becoming a transcendentalist starts when he meets a girl named Chris. He begins as a student who is not outgoing, just average like all the rest. Through the teachings of Mr. Keating, Knox gains an understanding of Keating’s favorite phrase “carpe diem” meaning seize the day. After meeting Chris for the first time, he falls in love with her and works up the courage to call her. He shows…

to conform. The one thing that Mr. Keating doesn’t want to teach is conformity in his classroom. Mr. Keating is all about teaching freedom and living your own life the way you want to live it. Mr. Keating teaches the boys in his class the phrase ‘Carpe Diem’ teaching them to seize the day. The boys have never been taught this before, they have lived their whole life getting told what to do and how to live their lives, never having to make a decision for themselves because it has already been…

Timshel. It is a Hebrew word found in the Bible, the fourth chapter of Genesis to be exact, which is also known as the story of the brothers, Cain and Abel. Essentially, timshel means “Thou mayest.” In the context of the tale, Jehovah tells Cain that he may conquer sin. This wording is significant because it varies between certain versions of the Bible. In the King James version, Jehovah guarantees that Cain will rule over sin, “Thou shalt.” Another version is the American Standard Bible. In…

“Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer Night” and “My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun” by Shakespeare, “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell, and “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” by Christopher Marlowe. These writers confront the idea of “carpe diem” by not entertaining the thought of what tomorrow may bring. For example, in “To His Coy Mistress”, Marvell is saying if there were enough time on earth, he and his mistress would do all of these great things, however they do not have all…

The notion of “carpe diem” and the transient nature of life, which is explored within The Dead Poets Society, resulted in the students changing the way they perceived themselves and the world around them. The confronting nature of discovery and its impact on human experiences…

As one of the most well-known movies in America, does Dead Poet’s Society promote the controversial ideas of transcendentalism? Furthermore, should Mr. Keating’s advice be followed? While some may say the movie demotes transcendentalism based off of the characters’ rather unfortunate endings, the ideals of the movie prove otherwise. The movie follows the story of Mr. Keating, a teacher who imbues private school students with transcendentalist values, and because he is the main protagonist, the…