Rustbelt 2013

 Do you know what love is? Even if you think you do, you don’t know it like Neil Hilborn. A man with extreme OCD finds his first love that can distract and break his habits but also leaves him for the very same reason she loved him. He creates a mood that is at times humorous as he talks about “kissing her goodbye 16 times or 24 times if its Wednesday” but also heart breaking when she leaves him.  Now that he’s alone, he has finally found something that hurts enough to break his habits and “leave the lights on” or “not lock the doors.” This shows the theme that love is truly the most powerful thing a person can feel. When Neil is performing you can see his habits, like when repeats words 5 times over. It is very moving that anyone could ever make him change and the fact that she did and left him is dreadful and heartbreaking. 

 Anthony Amorim

 How much would you give to go back in time and be seven years old again? I'd give a lot and I bet you'd give even more. Anthony suggests that growing up is anyone's worst nightmare but yet you keep bagging for it to come closer until it's to late. "God knows what we have became," when we pick our friends based on what people wear and how much money we have. The mood of this poem is serious, it makes you realize you're just like the people he describes. Sometimes you ask yourself "when did I stop being a four year old? when did seven and eight pass me by?" That shows the theme of the poem is you wish away your youth then as soon as its gone you realized you didn't appreciate the time that you can never get back. I enjoyed this poem but at the same time it made me feel guilty that I do everything he describes as negative. I already know that I wasted my youth by wishing I was seventeen, he just opens my eyes to it even more.

Dawn  Saylor

"He loved her more then me and I loved him more then me" this poem is about Dawn looking for love but only finding disappointment and even rape. She starts off young and confused then as the poem goes on she becomes older with an understanding of the world that most people will never have in their life time. The mood comes across as disturbing at first until you realize shes the victim. A women confused who "traded integrity for security and called it love" but isn't that what everyone does these days? The theme of this poem is that "you must look yourself in the eye and say... I am beautiful" in order to really be happy. If you can't love yourself then how will anyone else. I found this poem extremely moving and anyone watching her would learn and truly believe what she is saying.

Mr. Keating

       

When a new English teacher comes to twist, bend and completely flip how classes are usually taught at the bland all boys private school. The film Dead Poets’ societies by Peter Weir, there are lots of themes presented such as: peer pressure, looking at things at a different point of view and friendship. These are all displayed by the boys in the private school.

Peer pressure happens every day everywhere you go. Almost always peer pressure is a terrible thing. Neil’s father crushes him under his fist until there is not a crack of light or hopes left, only the piercing sound of a single bullet. Not all is bad though, Todd Anderson is pressured into the dead poet society by Neil who becomes is best friend and brings I’m into their tight nit group of friends. This seems to be the only place he feels comfortable and welcome. Also his English teacher makes him stand in front of the class and make up a poem on the spot. His English teacher pushes and helps Todd to come out of his shell and over his fear and bring him confidence.

Stand on your desk and look around. Is it different? Now do that with your whole life. Does it change?  Taking a step back and looking from a different point of view is what the boys are taught on their first day of English. Every other class they drive into hour long lechers and piles of homework. Mr. Keating uses techniques that are unusual to this up tight school but by doing so he wins the boys minds and hearts. Being questioned by every other teacher in the school didn’t make him blink for a second. Mr. Keating knew by ripping out pages in books and playing soccer he would give them the best education possible while allowing them to be free and have fun while doing it.

Shutting people out leaves you alone and bitter. Todd did this for a long time, he was afraid and unsure of himself until Neil brought him into his friend group. Todd made friendships that would never die, a place where he was safe and could be himself. People were there for him when he needed it and when one of their own fell they stuck together through it. Neil was their leader and everyone felt the impact but nobody did as much as his friends that knew the truth about why he took his own life. This event will crush some people and drive them away or make friendships stronger, keeping the rest of the boys together.

Mr. Keating is blamed for the death of Neil and it makes the themes standout even more. You can see all he had done for the boys when they stand on their desks as he leaves and say “o captain! My captain.” He was a friend to them more than a teacher. Also he sometimes pressured them into things that made them grow as students and people. He showed them a different way of looking at learning along with a different way of looking at life.