Dead Poets Society · 1989
Neil in the cave: Tennyson's Ulysses
Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) · The cave
Dead Poets SocietySleuthed by @shelfsleuth
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What it tells you
At the first revived meeting Neil reads from Tennyson's "Ulysses," and the film trims it down to the greatest hits. The speaker is an old king telling his crew to keep sailing instead of retiring, which lands differently in a room of teenagers who need a pass to leave campus.
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One still, one stack, every Tuesday morning.
The book
Selected Poems
Alfred, Lord Tennyson · 1830 · poetry
"Ulysses" dates to 1833. Its last line, "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield," is the one every guidance office poster has borrowed.
Buy from an indieThe film
Sleuthed by @shelfsleuth · 2026-10-20
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Paused Tuesdays
One still, one stack, every Tuesday morning.
Also in Dead Poets Society
All 4 books
The desk stand: Leaves of Grass
Neil's Puck: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Keating's marrow line: WaldenWe may earn a commission when you buy through these links. Learn more ›