What a stunning use of film and poetry, featuring the voice of Robin Williams in the 1989 movie “Dead
Poets’ Society”, is now incorporated into a new commercial for the IPad Air electronic device. The minute this commercial played on television during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, I recognized funny man and dramatic actor, Robin Williams, as that outstanding voice reverberating through the images. The first airing of this advertisement had me mesmerized. At each new airing, I stop, listen and marvel at the effectiveness of this audio clip. As unorthodox English Teacher John Keating, Robin Williams’ voice soars with gravitas and emotion as he uses the poem, “O Me, O Life” by Walt Whitman, to emphasize the importance of romance, love, beauty to his students at an all male preparatory school in the 1950’s. Here is the speech from “Dead Poet’s Society” by screenwriter, Tom Schulman, resurrected for this advertisement:
“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?”
This speech, in “Dead Poets’ Society”, is the rallying point for teacher John Keating as he solidifies the students into a community of poets, a shared responsibility as they claim the beauty of life around them. The students have bought into the idea of communion with one another.
The setting of the movie, at fictional Welton Academy in Vermont, reminds me of St. Stephen Presbyterian Church’s architecture and campus. St. Stephen exhibits the flavor of the movie because the Education Building was built in the late 1940’s into the 1950’s. We, too, have the feeling of grandeur, romance, beauty, and love as if God resides here on this hill.
Walt Whitman’s last line, “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse”, challenges me. In America, in Fort Worth, the current culture emphasizes that church is polarizing; unwelcoming to those who are different from the norm; that religion is outdated and becoming unnecessary; that we don’t need to be as present for worship, fellowship or mission. Are we going to let that be our verse?
Or are we going to contribute to the play? Are we going to be present? Are we going to be active in mission? Are we going to fellowship with one another? Are we going to embrace the passing of the peace, an outward expression that all are welcomed here? How will you counter the notion that faith education is unimportant; that worship is only for the few?
We are passionate members of St. Stephen; members of the human race. I challenge all of us to contribute a verse to the powerful play of life in this loving church family. What will your verse be?
We are passionate members of St. Stephen; members of the human race. I challenge all of us to contribute a verse to the powerful play of life in this loving church family. What will your verse be?