Dead Poets Society ~ Charlie Dalton

Chapter Three: The Dead Poets Society

"Gentlemen, open your text to page 21 of the introduction", announces Mr. Keating and opens up the book himself. He looks up briefly, scanning the students.

"Mr. Perry, will you read the opening paragraph of the preface entitled "Understanding Poetry"." Neil puts on his round reading glasses and starts to read.

"'Understanding Poetry' by Dr. J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D. To fully understand poetry, we must first be fluent with its meter, rhyme, and figures of speech. Then ask two questions. One: How artfully has the objective of the poem been rendered? And two: How important is that objective? Question one rates the poem's perfection. Question two rates its importance. And once these questions have been answered determining a poem's greatness becomes a relatively simple matter." Mr. Keating stands up and walks towards the chalk board. Neil continues.

"If the poem's score for perfection is plotted 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 its greatness." Mr. Keating draws explained graph on the board which is copied by the students on their paper. He looks at Neil, urging him to continue reading.

"A sonnet by Byron might score high on the vertical but only average on the horizontal." Mr. Keating draws a small upright rectangle as Neil just read it aloud.

"A Shakespearean sonnet, on the other hand, would score 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", Neil finishes reding and puts his glasses down. Mr. Keating turns back around to face the class and smiles at them.

"Excrement", he says, earning confused glances.

"That's what I think of Mr. J. Evans Pritchard. We're not laying pipe. We're talking about poetry. I mean, how can you describe poetry like American Bandstand? 'I like Byron. I give him a 42. But I can't dance to it'." Charlie and Mireille both look at each other with a grin. But that smile ultimately falls when they process what Mr. Keating said next.

"Now, I want you to rip out that page." Everyone looks at Mr. Keating as if he was a maniac.

"Go on. Rip out the entire page." A few begin to laugh, thinking that he is joking. Charlie looks around, thinking.

"You heard me. Rip it out. Rip it out!" Charlie puts away his paper, looking at the page with a grin.

"Go on. Rip it out", Mr. Keating festers. The sound of ripping is heard in the right corner, and everyone turns to see Charlie holding up the page with a proud grin. Mireille looks at him, both shocked and amused.

"Thank you, Mr. Dalton", thanks Mr. Keating to which Charlie rips the already torn out page in half. He turns his head to face his girlfriend, wriggling with his eyebrows at her and points to her book, wanting her to do the same.

"Gentlemen, tell you what. Don't just tear out that page. Tear out the entire introduction. I want it gone, history. Leave nothing." Cameron looks around, visibly terrified which almost makes Mireille laugh.

"Rip it out! Rip! Be gone, J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D.! Rip! Shred! Tear!" Mireille shakes her head, beginning to rip the said pages out. The others slowly following suit.

"Rip it out! I want to hear nothing but ripping of Mr. Pritchard! We'll perforate it, put it on a roll!" A few boys start laughing but Cameron still struggles to do so. Mr. Keating notices.

"It's not the Bible. You're not gonna go to hell for this." Cameron looks at him and then his book, still not convinced.

"Go on. Make a clear tear. I want nothing left of it." Mr. Keating walks into the little storage room. Meanwhile, Cameron turns around to face Neil.