My Reflection on the 1989 film 'Dead Poets Society'

I have just finished watching the dead poets society and what a movie it is. The themes it explores, the subtle messages it conveys, the poetry it romanticises.

It’s all remarkable. While I’m sure everyone interprets movie in their own unique way, my interpretation is of a teacher who has the courage to teach the most important lesson to his students: the ability to think for ones self and Carpe Diem (Seize the day)

I find it profoundly interesting that free thought and the ability to secure it was portrayed to be attainable through poetry. An art form which uses language to convey meaningful topics deeply related to human emotions and feelings like love.

For me, the movie showed the great importance of a teacher willing to not accept to be a part of the herd and encouraging others to dare so if they have it within themselves.

But, that comes at a cost, as the movie explores. Some more than others are able to harvest the power of a free-mind unbound by the limitations of others and direct it towards the pursuit of their passion. However, if that passion is obstructed by forces that extremely powerful (such as Neil’s parents) it can only lead to an explosive reaction. Sometimes, tragic for the one who is in the journey of living out their passions but haven’t quite yet reached the point of no return. The point where they don’t require the validation of others, the pursuit of their passion is the validation and the source of the individuals happiness.

I wonder how many people who commit suicide do it for the very reason explored in this film. I wonder the loss to humanity, it can’t be quantified such as it is with feelings and meaning of life. It is beyond quantisation.

I can only hope that as we as a civilisation progress, we allow others who are in pursuit of their passion to continue that journey and to provide them with the means to do so. Sometimes those means are as simple as encouragement and supporting them and recognising the beauty in what they do. For we are all on a planet which might in a very real sense be the vessel of meaning in a whole universe filled with billions of galaxies, each with billions of planets.

I find it difficult to put to words how beautiful it is that we are a part of the universe, the universe is within each and every of us and it feels through us.

I also want to touch on “Carpe Diem” which is such a simple yet beautiful and deep phrase. It’s translation? Seize the day. But what does it mean to seize the day? I think for me that’s where the beauty of the saying comes from, seizing the day means different for each person. For me, it means to do the thing that daunts me on the day that I’m living. The thing that I don’t want to do, or want to delay to the next. For tomorrow is not promised.

– Farrukh