“O Me! O Life!” by Walt Whitman
Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—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!
One of my favorite movies is The Dead Poet Society.
This is one of many great poems or quotes read or referenced by Robin Williams in the movie.
The answer is what hooked me in what could otherwise be regarded as a fairly depressing outlook on life (cheer up Walt!). Being alive to contribute to the ongoing (often difficult) narrative of existence is meaningful and wonderful in itself.
Dead Poets Society (1989) was directed by Peter Weir. The film was written and its screenplay was crafted by Tom Schulman, who won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work on the movie.
