When you think of characters reciting Walt Whitman's poetry in "Dead Poets Society," you probably think of the scene where the students stand on their desks repeating "O Captain! My Captain!" near the end of the film, seen in the video below.
But another underrated Whitman poem partially recited in the film is "O Me! O Life!" John Keating (Robin Williams) recites the poem as he's telling his students about the importance of poetry.
He says, "Medicine, law, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for."
Then he goes on to quote the poem, which features a particularly poignant line about how "the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse," and he asks the students what their verse will be, as shown in the video below.
This is an excellent illustration of the power of poetry and it's also a great example of how to get students interested in a subject they might otherwise overlook.
Granted, not every teacher has the charisma of Robin Williams, and even those who do might come across a little eccentric, but being passionate about a subject and drawing connections to students' other interests is a skill all teachers should strive for.
I've been teaching college English composition classes for nearly a year and a half, and I've found that some of my best lectures are the ones where I ask students to draw on their interests, and where I share how I've applied essay-writing skills to my own interests.
When Williams' character acknowledges the students' other interests such as medical school and business school and then tries to connect them back to the poetry, he employs a useful teaching skill and emphasizes poetry's importance.
The scene tends to take a backseat to others, particularly the "O Captain! My Captain!" theme that runs throughout the movie, but "O Me! O Life!" and its use in this scene deserves to be given props.
Great article!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete