http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Poets_Society
If Kahlil Gibran was correct by suggesting that the depth of sorrow that we may experience is a converse measure of the joy we have lost, then there is no wonder that so many people are feeling profound sorrow over the death of Robin Williams. The breadth, height and depth of his talents and career will never be replicated. It is impossible to comprehend the staggering list of his accomplishments, including starring in 56 movies.
Poets claim that, “everything is ironic, so get over it,†and so it should not be surprising that, “Dead Poets Society,†was a perfect vehicle to showcase Williams’ talent and personality. It may also have been a self-fulfilling prophecy. There is a scene where he warns his students that life is brief and too soon we will all be food for worms. He also exhorted them to “seize the day†and become more than they ever dreamed possible. I doubt that the skinny kid from California, miming on the streets of New York City, could have possibly dreamed that he would become known around the world.
Perhaps I was too conservative to appreciate his whacky, slap-stick comedy, however, his role in “Dead Poets Society†resonated with every fiber of my being. I responded viscerally to his irreverent disregard for educational norms that stifled student growth and creativity. The idea that each human being is a “once-in-a universe creation†was a fundamental theme in the Biodesign Class. It seemed crystal clear to me that each student was utterly unique and it was his/her privilege and responsibility to celebrate that uniqueness and not be warped or confined by the ideas, opinions or expectations of others.
I wasn’t zany enough to leap up on a lab table and recite a poignant passage from John Muir, however the power of Williams role as a rebel teacher empowered me to strive for a deeper, higher educational experience, with and for my students.
Williams was typically very funny, however, it has been said that we forget the people we laugh with, but not those we cry with. There were moments in “Dead Poet’s Society,â€that brought me to tears as he deftly stirred my soul. His ability to capture the essence of being a spirit-filled teacher was profoundly inspirational and changed my life and career. I don’t know if he brought John Keating to life or John Keating brought him to life, the casting was absolutely perfect and could easily be called a match made in heaven.
Actor/comedian Don Knotts had a similar meteoric rise from rags to riches; from socially invisible to world acclaim. Tragically, the rise cost him his 20-year-marriage to his best friend and helpmate.
Whether it was the bright lights of Hollywood, or other spirit-blinding factors, his wife lamented, “Fame is not a good companion to walk with.†Whether it was Williams’ fame, often frenetic super hyperbolic life-style, or silent  inner demons that led to his demise, he has left a void that simply can not be refilled.
Carpe diem Robin; the angels have a new comedian-in-residence and our loss will be truly their gain.