Poetry

An obvious theme in “Dead Poets Society, is poetry. Although poetry takes only a featured role in this story, it is at the heart of much of what Keating believes about life, philosophy and most importantly education. Keating tells the kids to rip out a page in their text book entitled, “Understanding Poetry.” He abhors the ranking system that the section contains. He resents that a text book would tell students how to rank a poem when compared to another or what poem to like or dislike. He understands that poetry is art and its beauty is in the soul and heart of the reader or listener.

Keating’s dramatic action in removing a piece of the curriculum of the stuffy private school was a daring move which later comes back to haunt him. But Keating doesn’t care. If he can get through to a...