Dead Poets Society: the play

Scene 10: English Class

Mr. Keating

Boys! I hope everyone has done their assignment? Who wants to read their poem

first?

Knox

*stands up* I do! *walks up front.*

Mr. Keating

Go for it.

Knox

For Chris...

Dead Poets

*Chuckle*

Knox

I see a sweetness in her smile. Bright lights shine from her eyes. But life is complete,

contentment is mine just knowing that...

Boy 1

*Chuckle*

Knox

Just knowing that she's alive. *sighs, walks of stage sad and frustrated cause people

laughed at him*

Boy 1

*Chuckle*

Knox

I'm sorry captain, it's stupid.

Mr. Keating

No! No, it's not stupid. It's a good effort. It touched on one of the major themes: love.

A major theme not only in poetry but also in life. Mr. Hopkins, you were laughing.

You're up.

Boy 1

*goes up front* The cat sat on the mat. *sits back down*

Mr. Keating

Congratulations Mr. Hopkins. You're poem is the first to reach a negative score on the

Pritchard scale.

All

*Laugh*

Mr. Keating

We're not laughing at you, we're laughing near you. I don't mind that your poem had

a simple theme. Sometimes the most beautiful poetry can be about the simplest of

things, like a cat, or a flower, or rain. You see, poetry can come from anything with

the stuff of revelation in it. Just don't let your poems be ordinary... Now, who's next? Mr. Anderson, I see you sitting there in agony. Come on Todd, step up, let's put you out of your misery.

Todd

I-I didn't do it. I didn't write a poem.

Mr. Keating

Mr. Anderson thinks everything inside him is worthless and embarrassing. Isn't that

right, Todd? Isn't that your greatest fear? Well I think you're wrong. I think there is

something inside of you that's worth a great deal. "I sound my barbaric yawp over the

rooftops of the world." Now for those of you who don't know, a Yawp is a loud cry or

yell. Now Todd, I would like you to give us a demonstration of a barbaric yawp.

Stand up!

Todd

*stands up reluctantly*

Mr. Keating

Gotta get into a yawping stance.