In honor of Robin Williams, a quote from “The Dead Poets Society”, which taught me how to be my own person and was one of the first times I understood how to “seize the day” in a positive way.
John 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. 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. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!… of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless… of cities filled 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 may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?
Language is what connects us to the future. We are communicating to people who may be born long after we’ve left this earth. So, what will your verse be? Not just in writing, but in your own life? Who are you? What mark will you leave on this world? I guarantee you will leave a mark, no matter how invisible you believe yourself to be right now. Every step you take exerts a force upon this earth, every word you say leaves a wake in the air molecules, and every sentence you write contributes a verse to the human play that carries on through the years.
What will your verse be?