In passing, Robin Williams joined the "Dead Poet Society". This 1989 film had made a phenomenal impact on my life. The legion of fans also share my sentiment as "Oh Captain! My Captain!" trends on Twitter worldwide. Now that the captain is gone, I like to reflect on the film's best moments for my first blog.
Carpe Diem
Carpe diem is a Latin aphorism usually translated "seize the day", taken from a poem in the Odes (book 1, number 11) in 23 BC by the poet Horace [Wikipedia]. While the scholars debate on Horace's carpe diem, Robin's fans understood it as John Keating's carpe diem as "They're not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they're destined for great things, just like many of you, their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? - - Carpe - - hear it? - - Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary." John Keating is a maverick English teacher played by Robin Williams.
The Road Less Traveled On
John Keating's carpe diem was about finding your own way or following your own dreams. "Now 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 (imitating a goat) “that’s baaaaad”. Robert Frost said, "Two roads diverged in the wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." Ridicule is expected when you are the odd ball but there is no need to feel intimidated by it. "We're not laughing at you - we're laughing near you."
A Different Angle
To make an impact you have to stand think out of the norm. "Why do I stand up here? Anybody? I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way."
Dare to Break Out
You need the courage to breakout or be confined to mediocrity. "Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Don't be resigned to that. Break out!"
Destructive Thinking
Although Keating's carpe diem emphasize on seizing the day to be extraordinary, it is against destructive thinking. "There's a time for daring and there's a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for."
The Passion of Poetry
As an English teacher, John Keating used poetry and poets to create interest for the dry subject. "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. 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."
Oh Captain! My Captain!
"O Captain, my Captain. Who knows where that comes from? Anybody? Not a clue? It's from a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now in this class you can either call me Mr. Keating, or if you're slightly more daring, ‘O Captain my Captain’." Playing John Keating who inspire a class of male students, Robin echoed this phrase on Twitter through his fans.
Robin Williams
"No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world." It is the voice, expressions and passion behind Robbin William that enables John Keating to captivates you. As dead poet, his legacy lives on in the hearts of all his fans.
