A DEAD POETS SOCIETY TEACHING UNIT

originally by Nick Senger 2007 and revised by Carly Palacios 2010

Peter Weir's film Dead Poet's Society (rated PG) is an asset to any junior high or high
school curriculum. In it, students gain an appreciation of poetry. Also, the movie shows the dangers
of peer pressure and suicide. It encourages students to think for themselves and to live life to the
fullest. It is a movie about coming to terms with oneself and others. It practically teaches itself
because students identify with it so well. Dead Poets Society is rich in symbolism, plot and
imagery, making it challenging and ripe for discussion. It is open to several interpretations and
provides teachers with an alternative to teaching print. Dead Poets Society works well with other
literature. It may be viewed in conjunction with A Separate Peace or Catcher in the Rye. It also
works well as an introduction to poetry, especially that of the Romantics. There are several
approaches one might take in teaching Dead Poets Society. For instance:

• Feelings of alienation: Todd's low self esteem; the issue of conformity and peer
pressure; Todd's following in his brother's footsteps; the dilemma of feeling indebted to
parents.
• Dealing with increased feelings of independence and rebellion: Neil's conflict with
his father; Charlie's illegal editorial; learning to spread one's wings slowly.
• Academic pressure: private schools as too competitive; preparatory schools as
babysitters for the elite; dictatorship of school administrators.
• Symbolism and imagery: Neil as Christ-figure; boys as flocks of geese; Mr. Keating
as scapegoat; Mr. Keating as Lincoln-figure.
• Influence of role models: Mr. Keating's influence on the students; Neil's father.

With any film it is always a good idea to preface it with things to look for. Pages can be
read again, but scenes from a movie come quickly and important items can be missed if a viewer is
not aware. Dead Poets Society is an excellent anticipatory set to use when beginning a unit on
poetry. John Keating, the main character (played marvelously by Robin Williams), is a passionate
and lively teacher. His enthusiasm for poetry, literature, and especially teaching flows from the
screen to the viewer. Students can't help but leave the film with at least a bit of curiosity about the
power of poetry. The film is a bit over two hours, and for the purposes of this unit, can be shown in
segments. The film's rich symbolism and controversial nature require periodic commentaries.
Showing the film in segments allows for discussion at the end of each session of viewing.
Part I (Beginning of movie to the end of Mr. Keating's "O me! O life!" speech - approx 32 min)

Part I establishes the setting and tone of the movie. The characters are introduced, as is the personality of
Mr. Keating. The year is 1959. Welton Academy is situated on a large campus in autumnal Vermont.
Draw to students' attention:
--The four pillars of Welton are Tradition, Honor, Discipline and Excellence. Which pillars do the
administration lean on? Notice the prominence that is given to the pillar of tradition.
--A scene of flying geese fades to a scene of the boys standing in line to receive their extracurricular
activities. Notice as the honking of the geese fades to the chattering of the boys, setting up a connection that
will later be commented on by Mr. Keating.
--Quick views of "typical" Welton teachers are followed by Mr. Keating's dramatic first class. The
juxtaposition of these scenes helps to distinguish Mr. Keating as a unique individual.
--The sentiment of carpe diem is expressed by Donne in his poem. Discuss the point that Mr. Keating is
trying to make.
--Mr. Keating dares the students to refer to him as "O Captain! My Captain!" Ask students why he might ask
them to do that.
-- Have students read and review the poems used in the first scene.

Part II (First dinner scene to students standing on Mr. Keating's desk - approx. 20 minutes)

Part II reveals the secret of the Dead Poets Society. The boys decide to revive the organization and meet in
the cave at night. Later, they get a lesson in looking at life from new perspectives from Mr. Keating via
standing on his desk. There is also a centerfold that the boys look at while in the cave—if you’d like, you
can skip that scene, stand in front of the screen, or get parental permission to show the scene.
Draw to students' attention:
--T.S. Eliot's quote about dead poets
--The boys run through the mist in dark cloaks as they head to the cave and read in the cave with only a
flashlight. Discuss what the director might be saying with this imagery. Some students said the flashlight
was symbolic of light in a dark place, ie, knowledge and individuality breaking through the darkness, or the
conformity and rigidity of Welton Academy.
--Ask the students the question, Why would the "present administration" not look favorably on the Dead
Poets Society?
--Invite the students to stand on their desks and view the world differently (only if your desks can handle it
—you can also do this metaphorically).

Part III (From Neil's desire to act to Charlie's punishment - approx 35 minutes)
In this section, we learn of Neil's desire to act, even if it means disobeying his father. We also see Todd's
fear of expressing himself, and the talent he has hidden inside. Knox summons the courage to call Chris, the
girl he has a crush on. Mr. Keating gives a lesson about the evils of conformity by having the students walk
together. Charlie brings two girls to the Dead Poets meeting and announces he has slipped an article into the
school newspaper. The article demands girls be allowed into Welton, and Charlie has signed it in the name
of the Dead Poets. This section ends with Mr. Nolan's paddling of Charlie.
Draw to students's attention:
--Mr. Keating's philosophy of sports.
--What is it that Mr. Keating does that makes Todd come out of his shell?
--The music involved (Handel, Beethoven)—why might this music be chosen for the film?
--Discuss the poems used so far.

Part IV (Mr. Keating's meeting with Nolan to Knox's talk with Chris - approx 19 minutes) Points for
discussion:
--Is Charlie too daring?
--Is Mr. Keating a bad influence?

Part V (The rest of the movie – approx 30 minutes) Points for discussion:
Remember not to give out the viewing guides for this portion until AFTER viewing the clip. Or else you’ll
give away Neil’s fate! Have some tissues ready— there are some students that will most likely cry!
--Who is most to blame for Neil’s death? Mr. Keating? Neil’s father? Neil himself?
--What is Peter Weir (the director) trying to say about life in this movie?

Ideas from the film (to possibly discuss with students):

1. Conformity stifles creativity.
2. Don’t follow the leader.
3. Find your passion and bring it to life.
4. Make your life extraordinary.
5. Creativity can be unleashed—we all have it.
6. There is a time for daring and a time for caution.
7. Looking at life from different perspectives will allow you to see what others cannot.
8. Carpe Diem—Seize the Day

Reading Journal Ideas:

RJ #1: Who is the most influential leader you have ever had? Why did they have such an influence on you?
RJ #2: “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; and 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.” Professor John Keating says this—what do you think it means? Do you agree? What are your
views on poetry and why we read it?
RJ #3: “I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way.
The world looks very different up here… Just when you think you know something you have to look at it in
another way… When you read, don’t just consider what the author thinks, you must consider what you
think.” Comment on this quote from Professor Keating. Do you agree? Why or why not? Do you have a
personal story about a time you took another perspective?
RJ #4: Keating asks his students to consider what their ‘verse,’ or lasting impression, will be when they
leave either Welton or this world. What ‘verse’ will you contribute in your lifetime? What do you hope will
be the lasting impression you leave behind?
 Viewing Guide, Part I of
“Dead Poets Society”
Part I (Beginning of movie to the end of Mr. Keating's "O me! O life!" speech - approx 32 min)
Write a brief description of each character; discuss each character and how they are important in
the film.
Main Characters:
Neil Perry:
Todd Anderson:
Charlie Dalton:
Knox Overstreet:
Richard Cameron:
John Keating:
Dean Nolan:

Part I
1. What are the four pillars of Welton Academy?
2. In what year does the story take place?
3. Notice the short scene with the flock of birds. What might this scene symbolize?
4. What do the Latin words ‘carpe diem’ mean?
5. What is the point of Mr. Keating's first class with the boys?
6. According to Mr. Keating, why read poetry? Why does he have them rip pages out of their
books?
7. Read the poems below, "O Captain, My Captain" and "To the Virgins to Make Much of Time."
Think about what these poems mean and how they might relate to the movie. Write your
opinions in two short paragraphs, one paragraph for each poem (you may work in pairs on this
part, one paper per person).

“O Captain, My Captain” by Walt Whitman:

O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;

Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
 It is some dream that on the deck,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

“To the Virgins, To make much of time” by Robert Herrick:

GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying :
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,

The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.

That age is best which is the first,

When youth and blood are warmer ;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,

And while ye may go marry :
For having lost but once your prime
You may for ever tarry.
 Teacher’s Edition Viewing Guide,
Part I of “Dead Poets Society”
Main Characters:
Neil Perry: Has overbearing parents and little free will.
Todd Anderson: Quiet and introspective, nervous (young Ethan Hawke).
Charlie Dalton: Rebellious, independent, starts smoking in the dorm.
Knox Overstreet: Falls in love, good friends with Charlie.
Richard Cameron: Redhead, often puts his foot in his mouth, makes goofy remarks.
John Keating: The new English teacher, he is rebellious and original and teaches very
differently than the other teachers. He used to belong to a literary club while he was at
Welton, called The Dead Poets Society.
Dean Nolan: The Dean of the school, he is frigid, old-fashioned, and inflexible.

Part I
1. What are the four pillars of Welton Academy? Tradition, Honor, Discipline, Excellence
2. In what year does the story take place? 1959, at a conservative prep school
3. Notice the short scene with the flock of birds. What might this scene symbolize? The boys are
like the flocks of geese—blindly following, with no personal thoughts or opinions.
4. What do the Latin words ‘carpe diem’ mean? Seize the Day
5. What is the point of Mr. Keating's first class with the boys? To display his unconventionality,
to teach them that life is too short and they need to take advantage of life.
6. According to Mr. Keating, why read poetry? Why does he have them rip pages out of their
books? They rip out the pages to be able to think for themselves, and we read poetry to
learn that words and ideas can change the world. We read and write poetry because we
are members of the human race— and beauty, romance, love are what we stay alive for.
7. Read the poems below, "O Captain, My Captain" and "To the Virgins to Make Much of Time."
Think about what these poems mean and how they might relate to the movie. Write your
opinions in two short paragraphs, one paragraph for each poem (you may work in pairs on this
part, one paper per person). O Captain, My Captain: Students should discuss the ideas of
following a leader, someone that they respect, someone that they risked their well-being to
emulate (like the students with Mr. Keating). Keating is also foreshadowing his own
character assassination at the hands of the school's administration, and that the boys are
left directionless after his termination. To The Virgins: Students should discuss the idea of
“carpe diem,” living life to the fullest while you can, while you are young and have time to
make mistakes and find out who you are and who you want to be. You will get old
someday, and will regret that you ‘wasted’ your youth, so don’t waste it!
 Viewing Guide, Part II of
“Dead Poets Society”
Part II (First dinner scene to students standing on Mr. Keating's desk - approx. 20 minutes)
Part II:
1. What was the Dead Poets Society? What did they do? Where do you think the name comes
from?
2. What is the symbolism in the scene where the boys go to the cave?
3. How does Mr. Keating get the boys to look at life differently?
4. What does T.S. Eliot mean by the following quote?

"No poet, no artist of any art, has complete meaning alone. His significance, his appreciation,
is the appreciation of his relation to the dead poets and artists. You cannot value him alone;
you must set him, for contrast and comparison, among the dead."
- T. S. Eliot, from "Tradition and the Individual Talent"

5. Summarize, in your own words, why Henry David Thoreau went to the woods:

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of
life, and see if I could learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I
had not lived. I did not wish to live what is not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to
practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the
marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut
a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms,
and if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole genuine meanness of it, and publish
its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give
a true account of it in my next excursion. For most men, it appears to me, are in a strange
uncertainty about it, whether it is of the devil or of God..."
- Henry David Thoreau, from –Walden
 Teacher’s Edition Viewing Guide,
Part II of “Dead Poets Society”
Part II (First dinner scene to students standing on Mr. Keating's desk - approx. 20 minutes)
Part II:
1. What was the Dead Poets Society? What did they do? Where do you think the name comes
from? A literary club that Mr. Keating belonged to while he went to Welton. They met and
read poems and shared their own poems and enjoyed the power of poems and words. The
name comes from the authors of the poems that the students read—the authors are dead
men, hence, “Dead Poets Society.”
2. What is the symbolism in the scene where the boys go to the cave? They escape to a secret
place to share their secret hopes, dreams, and poems they have written.
3. How does Mr. Keating get the boys to look at life differently? He has them stand on their
desks to see a new perspective.
4. What does T.S. Eliot mean by the following quote?
All poets and artists must be appreciated as one thing—poetry in itself does not stand alone,
nor do their poems. You can appreciate one poem and one author, but you are appreciating
them in relation to the other poems and authors. You are appreciating the art, the work, the
power of words in and of themselves.
5. Summarize, in your own words, why Henry David Thoreau went to the woods:
He did not wish to live what was “not life”—ie, a life that did not fit what we wanted and
wished for himself. Life is too short; Thoreau says that “living is so dear,” to not live the life
you want and enjoy. He wants to “suck all the marrow out of life”—get joy out of each
moment, really experience and LIVE life! Maybe leave a legacy behind (“cut a broad swath”).
Even if life proves ‘mean,’ to get the real meanness of it and understand it, and possibly be
able to leave a true account of how good (Thoreau calls it “sublime”) or bad (“genuine
meanness”) or whatever life really is. Thoreau states that most men “are in a strange
uncertainty;” they are living a life that is not true to themselves or to what they desire in life,
and are lost and sometimes don’t even know it.
 Viewing Guide, Part III of
“Dead Poets Society”
Part III (From Neil's desire to act to Charlie's punishment - approx 35 minutes)
Part III:
1. What is Mr. Keating's philosophy of sports?
2. What is it that makes Todd come out of his shell? What does Mr. Keating do to help him come
out of his shell?
3. Notice the music involved in the film (Handel, Beethoven). Why do you think this type of
music was chosen?
4. Discuss the poems used in the film so far (Shakespeare’s sonnets, Robert Frost, Walt Whitman,
Thoreau, etc). What significance do the poems have on the storyline? Why do you think certain
poems were chosen over others?
5. Professor Keating uses the following quote from Walt Whitman to inspire his students earlier in
the film:

“ O me! O life! O me! O life!.. of the questions of these recurring: Of the endless trains of
the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish; … what good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer. That you are here—that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on,
and you will contribute a verse.”

Why do you think Professor Keating tells his students to “contribute a verse?” What does he mean?
What do you think will be your ‘verse’ to the world?
 Teacher’s Edition Viewing Guide,
Part III of “Dead Poets Society”
Part III (From Neil's desire to act to Charlie's punishment - approx 35 minutes)
Part III:
1. What is Mr. Keating's philosophy of sports? Sometimes you have to work together to excel.
“Sports are a chance for us to make other human beings push us to excel.” Sports are
comparable to life because they emphasize how you have to work together with others and
consider what others are doing in order to play your part in the game. You, yourself, can
excel in the game and make your own performance extraordinary, but you still can’t
forget the rest of your teammates, whose performance enhanced yours. You can’t be
selfish in a game – you have to be aware of how your performance affects others, just as in
life, although you may have your own style for doing things, you can’t forget that the
world doesn’t revolve around you.
2. What is it that makes Todd come out of his shell? What does Mr. Keating do to help him come
out of his shell? He makes him shout ‘barbarically’ in front of the class, then covers his
eyes as he spouts poetry about the Whitman potrait ‘watching’ the class.
3. Notice the music involved in the film (Handel, Beethoven). Why do you think this type of
music was chosen? To convey the atmosphere at Welton—very proper, very expensive—
and the type of behavior and attitude that is expected of the students—proper, follow the
rules, do not question authority or try to change things in any way.
4. Discuss the poems used in the film so far (Shakespeare’s sonnets, Robert Frost, Walt Whitman,
Thoreau, etc). What significance do the poems have on the storyline? Why do you think certain
poems were chosen over others? The poems convey the attitude of Mr. Keating and what he
is trying to teach his pupils at the time—like to make use of their youth (“To The
Virgins”), to ‘suck the marrow out of life’ (from “Walden”). The poems also parallel the
plot line of the movie: Mr. Keating introducing them to new ideas, trying to get them to
change their way of thinking, then trying to make them act on their new perspectives.
5. Why do you think Professor Keating tells his students to “contribute a verse?” What does he
mean? What do you think will be your ‘verse’ to the world? What lasting impression will they
leave on the world—their ‘verse’? Then opinion.
 Viewing Guide, Part IV of
“Dead Poets Society”
Part IV (Mr. Keating's meeting with Nolan to Knox's talk with Chris - approx 19 minutes)
Answer each question with at least a paragraph—5-7 sentences:

1. Do you think Charlie is too daring? Why or why not?

2. Do you think Mr. Keating is a bad influence? Why or why not?
3. What does Mr. Keating do well as a leader? What are his downfalls as a leader?
4. Keating provokes defiance into his students without providing the social discourse (or, in other
words, something to try and change) for true change. What is the effect of this when the
students act on their defiance?

Teacher’s Edition Viewing Guide,

Part IV of “Dead Poets Society”
Part IV (Mr. Keating's meeting with Nolan to Knox's talk with Chris - approx 19 minutes)
Answer each question with at least a paragraph—5-7 sentences:

1. Do you think Charlie is too daring? Why or why not? Opinion. He does try to go against the
school and the rules, and doesn’t care about the punishment. He could possibly go about
his rebellion in a safer, more approved way.
2. Do you think Mr. Keating is a bad influence? Why or why not? Opinion. He opens the
student’s minds to new ideas, but this could be seen as good or bad, depending on your
perspective. Also see #4.
3. What does Mr. Keating do well as a leader? What are his downfalls as a leader? Opinion. He is
good at making the students think and open their minds, but he does need give them the
direction needed in which to send their rebellion and nonconformity. Again, see #4.
4. Keating provokes defiance into his students without providing the social discourse (or, in other
words, something to try and change) for true change. What is the effect of this when the
students act on their defiance? Keating tells them to change—but not where or how to start.
He could have helped them find out where to start their rebellion or how to change things
from the inside, so that they wouldn’t get in trouble. Because of this, his students react
kind of wildly, without direction or goals except to rebel. This causes them to get in more
trouble and risk expulsion from school.
 Viewing Guide, Part V of
“Dead Poets Society”
Part V (The rest of the movie – approx 30 minutes)
1. Who is most to blame for Neil’s death? Mr. Keating? Neil’s father? Neil himself?
2. Do you think Neil would have committed suicide if Mr. Keating had never come into his life?
Why or why not?
3. Who, do you think, was the bravest of all the Dead Poets boys?
4. In the initial screenplay, Todd specifically does not sign the paper at the end. In the movie, we
are not told one way or the other. Did Todd sign it or not? What do you think?
5. What happens next? What does the future hold for Keating and the boys?
6. Choose one of the themes below to comment on—which theme were you most able to relate to?
Which did you think was the most powerful? The following themes are present in Dead Poets
Society :
-- Feelings of alienation
-- Dealing with increased feelings of independence and rebellion
-- Academic pressure
-- Symbolism and imagery
-- Influence of role models
 Teacher’s Edition Viewing Guide,
Part V of “Dead Poets Society”
Part V (The rest of the movie – approx 30 minutes)
1. Who is most to blame for Neil’s death? Mr. Keating? Neil’s father? Neil himself? Opinion.
2. Do you think Neil would have committed suicide if Mr. Keating had never come into his life?
Why or why not? Also opinion.
3. Who, do you think, was the bravest of all the Dead Poets boys? Again, opinion. Students
could say Charlie, for having printed his opinion article, or Knox, for trying to date a girl
that already had a boyfriend, or Neil, for doing what he wanted, and then finally giving up
when he saw that he wasn’t going to be able to do what he wanted and he felt that his
parents would never see his side of things. However, students might also argue that Neil
was the weakest because instead of fighting, he gives up.
4. In the initial screenplay, Todd specifically does not sign the paper at the end. In the movie, we
are not told one way or the other. Did Todd sign it or not? What do you think? Opinion. Make
sure students use examples from the film to explain their answer.
5. What happens next? What does the future hold for Keating and the boys? Opinion.
6. Choose one of the themes below to comment on—which theme were you most able to relate to?
Which did you think was the most powerful? The following themes are present in Dead Poets
Society :
• Feelings of alienation: Todd's low self esteem; the issue of conformity and peer
pressure; Todd's following in his brother's footsteps; the dilemma of feeling
indebted to parents.
• Dealing with increased feelings of independence and rebellion: Neil's conflict with
his father; Charlie's illegal editorial; learning to spread one's wings slowly.
• Academic pressure: private schools as too competitive; preparatory schools as
babysitters for the elite; dictatorship of school administrators.
• Symbolism and imagery: Neil as Christ-figure; boys as flocks of geese; Mr.
Keating as scapegoat; Mr. Keating as Lincoln-figure.
• Influence of role models: Mr. Keating's influence on the students; Neil's father.
 Dead Poets Society Final Essay
Choose one of the following themes from the movie below to comment on in an essay:

• Feelings of alienation: Todd's low self esteem; the issue of conformity and peer
pressure; Todd's following in his brother's footsteps; the dilemma of feeling indebted to
parents.
• Dealing with increased feelings of independence and rebellion: Neil's conflict
with his father; Charlie's illegal editorial; learning to spread one's wings slowly.
• Academic pressure: private schools as too competitive; preparatory schools as
babysitters for the elite; dictatorship of school administrators, expectations from parents
and administrators.
• Symbolism and imagery: Neil as a Christ-figure (he dies so that the other boys may
truly live); boys as flocks of geese; the flashlight in the cave; Mr. Keating as scapegoat;
Mr. Keating as Lincoln-figure (in that he ‘frees’ the boys from a narrow-minded way of
thinking).
• Influence of role models: Mr. Keating's influence on the students; Neil's father.

Your essay should be SIX PARAGRAPHS and include an introduction as well as a conclusion.
Make sure to have a THESIS—tell me what your paper is going to be about and what you are going
to say. In your essay, your body paragraphs should talk about:
 1st paragraph; HOW the theme you chose to talk about is portrayed in the film (I’ve included
examples of when and how they occur above)
 2nd paragraph: HOW the theme relates to your life: did you learn anything new about these
things? Do you have an opinion on the theme? Do you have a personal story or perspective to
relate?
 3rd paragraph: HOW this movie helped you to think differently—about poetry, teaching, school,
alienation, etc. Pick one thing and focus on it.
 4th paragraph: WHICH piece of poetry used in the film did you like best and why? Why did it
stand out to you? See Mrs. Palacios for a list of poems used in Dead Poets Society.

Make sure to use proper grammar and punctuation.

 Poetry in Dead Poets Society:
She Walks In Beauty by Lord Byron
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear, their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
The Ballad of William Bloat by Raymond
Calvert
In a mean abode on the Skankill Road
Lived a man named William Bloat;
He had a wife, the curse of his life,
Who continually got his goat.
So one day at dawn, with her nightdress on
He cut her bloody throat.
With a razor gash he settled her hash
Oh never was crime so quick
But the drip drip drip on the pillowslip '
Of her lifeblood made him sick.
And the pool of gore on the bedroom floor
Grew clotted and cold and thick.
And yet he was glad he had done what he had
When she lay there stiff and still
But a sudden awe of the angry law
Struck his heart with an icy chill.
So to finish the fun so well begun
He resolved himself to kill.
He took the sheet from the wife's coul' feet
And twisted it into a rope
And he hanged himself from the pantry shelf,
'Twas an easy end, let's hope.
In the face of death with his latest breath
He solemnly cursed the Pope.
But the strangest turn to the whole concern
Is only just beginning.
He went to Hell but his wife got well
And she's still alive and sinning.
For the razor blade was German made
But the sheet was Belfast linen.
The Prophet - Abraham Cowley
Teach me to Love? go teach thy self more wit;
I am chief Professor of it.
Teach craft to Scots, and thrift to Jews,
Teach boldness to the Stews;
In tyrants courts teach supple flattery,
Teach Jesuits, that have traveled far, to Lye.
Teach fire to burn and Winds to blow.
Teach restless Fountains how to flow,
Teach the dull earth, fixt, to abide,
Teach Woman-kind inconstancy and Pride.
See if your diligence here will useful prove;
But, pr'ithee, teach not me to love.
The God of Love, if such a thing there be,
May learn to love from me,
He who does boast that he has bin,
In every Heart since Adams sin,
I'll lay my Life, nay Mistress on't, that's more;
I'll teach him things he never knew before;
I'll teach him a receipt to make
Words that weep, and Tears that speak,
I'll teach him Sighs, like those in death,
At which the Souls go out too with the breath;
Still the Soul stays, yet still does from me run;
As Light and Heat does with the Sun.
'Tis I who Love's Columbus am; 'tis I, Who must
new Worlds in it descry;
Rich Worlds, that yield of Treasure more,
than that has been known before,
And yet like his (I fear) my fate must be,
To find them out for others; not for Me.
Me Times to come, I know it, shall
Loves last and greatest prophet call.
But, ah, what's that, if she refuse,
To hear the whole doctrines of my Muse?
If to my share the Prophets fate must come;
Hereafter fame, here Martyrdome.
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair;
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, And I-
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Sonnet XVIII by William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
Excerpt from Ulysses by Alfred Lord
Tennyson
It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole
Unequal laws unto a savage race,
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd
Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when
Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honour'd of them all;
And drunk delight of battle with my peers,
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
This is my son, mine own Telemachus,
To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,--
Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil
This labour, by slow prudence to make mild
A rugged people, and thro' soft degrees
Subdue them to the useful and the good.
Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere
Of common duties, decent not to fail
In offices of tenderness, and pay
Meet adoration to my household gods,
When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought
with me--
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads--you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the
deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my
friends,
'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we
are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Excerpt from Walden by Henry David
Thoreau
I went to the woods because I wished to live
deliberately, to front only the essential facts of
life, and see if I could not learn what it had to
teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I
had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not
life, living is so dear, nor did I wish to practice
resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I
wanted to live deep and suck all the marrow of
life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put
to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath
and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and
reduce it to its lowest terms, and if it proved to be
mean, why then to get the whole and genuine
meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the
world; or if it were sublime, to know it by
experience, and be able to give a true account of it
in my next excursion. For most men, it appears to
me, are in a strange uncertainty about it, whether
it is of the devil or of God, and have somewhat
hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man
here to "glorify God and enjoy him forever."
O Me! O Life! by Walt Whitman
O Me! O life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill'd
with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who
more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects
mean, of the struggle ever renew'd,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and
sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with
the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring-What good
amid these, O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here-that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may
contribute a verse.
Song of Myself XVI by Walt Whitman
I am of old and young, of the foolish as much as
the wise,
Regardless of others, ever regardful of others,
Maternal as well as paternal, a child as well as a
man,
Stuff'd with the stuff that is coarse and stuff'd
with the stuff that is fine,
One of the Nation of many nations, the smallest
the same
and the largest the same,
A Southerner soon as a Northerner, a planter
nonchalant
and hospitable down by the Oconee I live,
A Yankee bound my own way ready for trade, my
joints the
limberest joints on earth and the sternest joints on
earth,
A Kentuckian walking the vale of the Elkhorn in
my deer-skin
leggings, a Louisianian or Georgian,
A boatman over lakes or bays or along coasts, a
Hoosier, Badger, Buckeye;
At home on Kanadian snow-shoes or up in the
bush, or with fishermen off Newfoundland,
At home in the fleet of ice-boats, sailing with the
rest and tacking,
At home on the hills of Vermont or in the woods
of Maine,
or the Texan ranch,
Comrade of Californians, comrade of free North-
Westerners,
(loving their big proportions,)
Comrade of raftsmen and coalmen, comrade of all
who
shake hands and welcome to drink and meat,
A learner with the simplest, a teacher of the
thoughtfullest,
A novice beginning yet experient of myriads of
seasons,
Of every hue and caste am I, of every rank and
religion,
A farmer, mechanic, artist, gentleman, sailor,
quaker,
Prisoner, fancy-man, rowdy, lawyer, physician,
priest.

I resist any thing better than my own diversity,

Breathe the air but leave plenty after me,
And am not stuck up, and am in my place.

Song of Myself Section 52 by Walt Whitman

The spotted hawk swoops by and accuses me, he
complains
of my gab and my loitering.

I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable,

I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the
world.

The last scud of day holds back for me,

It flings my likeness after the rest and true as any
on the
shadow'd wilds,
It coaxes me to the vapor and the dusk.

I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the

runaway sun,
I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy
jags.

I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the

grass I love,
If you want me again look for me under your
boot-soles.