Todd Anderson's poems

Todd Anderson during the film demonstrates a skill for poetry which is compared to Walt Whitman by Neil Perry. He composes two poems, only one of which was written formally. Todd is seen writing in his poems in his journals and is quite protective over anyone seeing it.

Todd's poems

The first poem that Todd produces is unnamed, but it is made while Mr. Keating is putting him through an exercise for him to make a poem he was supposed to write as homework. It writes:

“I close my eyes and this image floats beside me

The sweaty-toothed madman with a stare that pounds my brains

His hands reach out and choke me

And all the time he’s mumbling

Truth, like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold.

You push it, stretch it, it will never be enough

Kick it beat it, it will never cover any of us.

From the moment we enter crying, to the moment we leave dying,

it will just cover your face

Todd forming the p[oem with Mr Keating.

as you wail and cry and scream.”

Though the poem's meaning is not disclosed, the poem can be left up to the audience's interpretation. One interpretation of the poem is that the poem is a reference to balance rationalism and romanticism. The head is romanticism, and the feet always being left cold are rationalism. No matter which one you attempt to keep balanced by stretching it, one is always exposed. At the start of the story, Todd focuses more on his rationality due to being exposed to constant criticism such as his father, thus being cold, but throughout the course of the story, he slowly shifts into an ideology that of an romantic, like the rest of the dead poets such as Knox and Charlie.

It is implied that the "madman" is Neil's father, Tom Perry. His overbearing nature towards Neil, mumbling the truth, forcing Neil to follow the career of his father's ideals, acting as a heavy realist in contrasts to his son's romantic ideology, and it cannot be avoided, 'leaving his feet cold' until he ultimately kills himself, acting as his screams and cries. This is further implied when Todd cries in the snow about Neil's grief and says his father killed him, acting as the sweaty-toothed madman.

The second poem of Todd's is also named, but it is the first poem that Todd openly reads out to the boys of the cave. It writes:

"We are dreaming of tomorrow and tomorrow isn't coming

We are dreaming of a glory that we don't really want

We are dreaming of a new day when the new day's here already

We are running from the battle when it's one that must be fought.

And still we sleep.

We are listening for the calling but never really heeding

Todd forming the poem before ultimately discarding it.

Hoping for the future when the future's only plans

Dreaming of the wisdom that we are dodging daily

Praying for a saviour when salvation's in our hands.

And still we sleep.

And still we sleep,

And still we pray,

And still we fear,

And still we sleep."

This poem acts as direct foreshadowing to Neil's suicide, the constant references to dreaming of a future that will not come, and "running from the battle that must be fought," which is the reality of Neil realising that there is no way to escape from his father and his future that is set out for him. Once, again, it discusses themes of realism/rationalism vs. romanticism. Ironically, by the end of the film, Todd and Neil switch roles as Todd goes from realist to romantic, and Neil does the opposite. At the same time Todd recites this poem, Neil is walking down the stairs to his father's study.