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Examples Of Carpe Diem In Dead Poets Society

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People often think of the word “seize” with a negative connotation due to the definition being to take hold of suddenly or forcibly. However, professor John Keating teaches the boys of his english class a new ways to think and a new way to view the word. Dead Poets Society teaches a group of boys the wildly famous phrase “carpe diem” among many other things. While all the boys follow these wise words, one of them sticks out more than the rest. Neil Perry seizes the day in more ways than one throughout the movie. Neil Perry has taken the term seize the day to heart undoubtedly the most out of any of the boys because he listens to Mr. Keating telling him to live his best life and goes against his father in order to pursue his true passion; this is exceptional because Neil Perry was unable to stick up for what he wanted when it came to his father. To begin, Mr. Keating had a strong message to the boys to live their best lives and make the most out of everything life throws at them. This can be shown in the quote from the film, “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." …show more content…

One student, Neil Perry, truly took Mr. Keatings words in and found a new way to live his life. This is shown when Neil says, “For the first time in my whole life, I know what I wanna do! And for the first time, I'm gonna do it! Whether my father wants me to or not! Carpe diem!” (Dead). Neil Perry was the type of boy to follow the rules and listen to his father his whole life. This was until his teacher Mr. Keating taught him to seize the day and take advantage of life by doing what made him happy. This is why Neil is the one who listened to Keating’s words the most, because he went against what he believed in his whole life to make himself

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