Dead Poets
*are talking through each other. Waiting for Mr. Keating to enter the room*
Knox
*walks in*
Neil
How was dinner?
Knox
Terrible. Awful.
Charlie
What? What happened?
Knox
Tonight, I met the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my entire life.
Neil
Are you crazy? What's wrong with that?
Knox
She's practically engaged... To Chet Danbury.
Pitts
Too bad.
Knox
Too bad? It's worse than the bad Pitts. It's a tragedy! A girl this beautiful in love with
such a jerk!
Pitts
All the good ones go for jerks you know that.
Cameron
Yeah, forget her. Open your book and try reading the introduction already.
Knox
I can't just forget her, Cameron. And I certainly can't think about English.
Mr. Keating
*Walks in*
Charlie
Did you see her naked?
Knox
Very funny Dalton.
Mr. Keating
Gentlemen,
All
*stop talking*
Mr. Keating
Open your textbooks on page 21 of the introduction. Mr. Perry, will you
read the opening paragraph of the preface, untitled understanding poetry?
Neil
"Understanding poetry" by Dr. J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D.
To fully understand poetry, we must first be fluent with it's meter, rhymes and figure
of speech. Then ask 2 questions. One: how artfully has the objective of the poem been
rendered? And two: how important is that objective? Question one rates the poem
perfection. Question two rates its importance. And once these questions have been answered determining the poem's greatness becomes a relatively easy matter. If a poem's score for perfection is plotted-
Mr. Keating
*Starts drawing an x-y graphic on the board. Drawing what Neil is saying*
Neil
On the horizontal of a graph and its importance is plotted on the vertical, then
calculating the total area of the poem yields the measure of the greatness. A sonnet by
Byron might score high on the vertical, but only average on the horizontal. A
Shakespearian poem on the other hand scores high both horizontally and vertically,
yielding a massive total area. Thereby revealing the poem to be truly great. As you
proceed through the poetry in this book, practice this rating method. As your ability to
evaluate poems in this manner grows, so will your enjoyment and understanding of
poetry.
Mr. Keating
Excrement... That's what I think of Dr. J. Evans Pritchard. We're not laying pipes.
We're talking about poetry. I mean how can you describe poetry like an american
Bandstand? "I like Byron. I give him a 42. But I can't dance to it."
All
*laugh*
Mr. Keating
Now I want you to rip out that page.
All
*Look flabbergasted at Mr. Keating*
Mr. Keating
Come on! Rip out the entire page. You heard me. Rip it out.
Charlie
*Rips out the page*
Mr. Keating
Thank you Mr. Dalton. Gentlemen tell you what, tear out the entire introduction. I
want it gone! History! Leave nothing of it! Rip it out! Rip it!
All ( except for Cameron)
*Start ripping it out*
Mr. Keating
Be gone Dr. J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D.! Rip! Shred! Tear! It's not the bible, you're not
gonna go to hell for this.
Cameron
*starts ripping with a ruler*
Mr. Keating
Make a clean tear. I want nothing left of it. *walks out*
Cameron
We shouldn't be doing this.
Neil
Rip! Rip! Rip!
All
*More ripping*
McAllister
*Walks in* What the hell is going on here?
All
*stop ripping*
Mr. Keating
*Walks back in* I don't hear enough rip!
McAllister
Mr. Keating... I'm sorry I- I didn't know you were here.
Mr. Keating
I am.
McAllister
So you are... Excuse me. *Walks away*
Mr. Keating
Keep ripping gentlemen!
All
*start ripping again*
Mr. Keating
This is a battle! A war! And the casualties could be your hearts, your souls. Armies of
academics going forward measuring poetry. No! We will not have that here. No more
Dr. J. Evans Pritchard. Now, my class, you will learn how to think for yourselves
again. You will learn to savor words and language. No matter what anyone tells you.
Words and ideas can change the word. I see that look in Mr. Pitts eyes, *walks to
Pitts* like 19th century literature has nothing to do with going to business school or
med school. Right? Maybe. Mr. Hopkins you might agree with Mr. Pitts, thinking, yes
we should simply study Dr. J. Evans Pritchard, and learn our rhyme and meter and go
quietly about our business of achieving other ambitions. I have a secret for you.
Huddle up. Huddle up!
All
*huddle up*
Mr. Keating
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 the things we stay alive for. To quote
from whitman: O me, o life of questions of these recurring. Of the endless trains of
the faithless. Of cities filled with the foolish. what good omit 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 to the verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute to the verse. *Looks at Todd* What will your verse be?