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Elements Of Romanticism In Dead Poets Society

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Dead Poets’ Society Compared to the Romantic Period
The movie the Dead Poets’ Society takes place in the Welton Academy, a school held in high regard for its output of ivy league college students. Here the rules are strict and if a student steps on or crosses a line they are expelled. This harsh ruling can be seen in the classrooms as well, each room is lined with boys sitting silently in their chairs, staring at babbling teachers. Then, there is one new exception to this picture, Mr. Keating. Keating seems to have set out to break the mold of the tradition Welton teacher. He also seems to want his students to also break the mold and think for themselves. He accomplishes this goal by showing them how to look at the world differently and showing them that emotions are not something you should bottle up, but put on a page. Keating also pushes the importance of Carpe Diem or “seizing the day” (Williams,1989). The boys, in turn, take interest in Mr. Keating’s teachings, they take the idea if they are going to die one day, to heart, and begin to live their lives to the fullest. This philosophy takes deep root in the …show more content…

During the Romantic Period, many poets wrote gothic poems about dark castles and supernatural ideas (Stillinger, 2006). This shows up in even the idea of the Dead Poets’ Society itself, the boys liked the idea of a secret society that met in the middle of the woods. They looked like monks in cowls escaping the austere walls of a monastery (Naomi, 2005). The students also leave in the cover of night in a slight fog, this also adds to the gothic and supernatural feel to the movie. Not to mention, they meet in a cave and gather around a fire to share poetry and woo women (Williams, 1989). Another gothic feature is the architecture of the school. The tall stone buildings with stone statues are well known to romantic

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