Carpe Diem Meaning

Carpe Diem has one universal meaning: “Seize the day”. This can simply mean to take a small risk or even make a life-changing decision. No matter how one chooses to use this saying, the user must make the most of the present time and give very little thought to the future. In the movie, Dead Poet’s Society, this saying is promoted throughout the story being told as it helps many characters achieve their desires in that moment. Carpe Diem affected Professor John Keating and his way of teaching his students, Charles Dalton and his leadership, and finally, Neil Perry and his eleutheromania. Dead Poet’s Society takes place at a well-respected prep school named The Welton Academy in Vermont, which is an all male school that approaches education as a structure event with very little room for the boys own thoughts. Many teachers at this school are strict and do not allow the boys to think for themselves. This occurred until Professor Keating arrived and began to teach. The professor’s style of teaching was based on his saying Carpe Diem or “Seize the day”. In the movie, Professor Keating tells his students that “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas change the world”. Professor

This is a great word to describe Neil Perry. Neil Perry was a perfect student and great friend. He was kind, understanding, and smart, but he’s one flaw was that he could never say “no”. Thus being, when Neil was taught how to think and act for himself, he took up acting and loved it. His only issue was his father who wanted him to become a doctor and not an actor. Neil tried so hard to use Carpe Diem to his advantage but he could never upset his parents like that. Neil always had a strong desire to be free and to seize the day and most of the time he did succeed in these two areas. Neil used Carpe Diem by continuing to act, and be apart of Dead Poet’s Society even though it was against both his school and fathers