15 Unforgettable Dead Poets Society Quotes to Motivate You
“John Keating Quote, Dead Poet’s Society“, Valente, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Released in 1989, Dead Poets Society is an American teen drama movie starring legendary actor Robin Williams as John Keating. The award-winning film tells the story of an English teacher (Keating) who inspires his students through poetry. Speaking of awards, Dead Poets Society is one of the most decorated Hollywood movies, having received 19 nominations for different categories, and won 20. In addition, Dead Poets Society is also considered one of the best movies of all time by IMDb.
Dead Poets Society is more than just a movie. This epic drama film also comes with a host of valuable lessons. A great example is the repeated use of the phrase ‘carpe diem,’ a Latin aphorism meaning ‘seize of the day’ or ‘make the most out of something/situation.’ To further understand just how deep and inspirational this movie is, here are some of the best Dead Poets Society quotes to motivate you.
Dead Poets Society Quotes
“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”
John Keating
“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.”
John Keating
“Seize the day. Because, believe it or not, each and every one of us in this room is one day going to stop breathing, turn cold and die.”
“Carpe, carpe. Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”
John Keating
“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!”
Neil Perry
“I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way.”
“They’re not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster.”
John Keating
“Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way. Even though it may seem silly or wrong, you must try.”
John Keating
“There’s a time for daring and there’s a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for.”
“This is a battle, boys! War! You are souls at a critical juncture. Either you will succumb to the will of academic hoi polloi, and the fruit will die on the vine— or you will triumph as individuals.”
John Keating
“Avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose.”
John Keating
“Language was invented for one reason boys – to woo women – and in that endeavor, laziness will not do.”
“Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone.”
Tom Schulman
“But only in their dreams can man be truly free. ‘Twas always thus, and always thus will be.”
John Keating
“When you read, don’t just consider what the author thinks. Consider what you think.”
We genuinely hope that you’ve learned a thing or two about these quotes from Dead Poets Society. TurtleQuote.com has a great collection of movie quotes to inspire, motivate or simply brighten your day.
If you loved reading these Dead Poets Society quotes, you’d also love these savage Peaky Blinders quotes!
I used to show this movie to my students when I taught English at Northern Michigan University. It’s about critical thinking and the individual–something no longer being taught in our schools, trust me. Now it’s group think and the collective. No free exchange of ideas. And if you stand against them, you’ll be cancelled. As I was. But that doesn’t mean you don’t buck the tide.
Completely agreed Lynn. It’s about the critical thinking. This movie is an inspiration for all of us! One of my all time favorite!