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Simile
Explanation and Analysis—As if in a Sanctuary:
Kleinbaum uses a simile when describing the first meeting of the Dead Poets Society in Chapter 7:
The boys stood silently, as if in a holy sanctuary
Charlie, Knox, Neil, Todd, Pitts, Meeks, and Cameron are described as standing silently inside of the cave in which they are meeting. The simile compares the cave to a divine space, specifically one of protection and refuge. Kleinbaum frequently evokes the divine through figurative language, both when describing Welton and when describing the Dead Poets Society. In fact, Mr. Keating himself exclaimed that “Gods were created” in the Dead Poets Society. The simile continues this throughline, while also indicating that the students have entered into a space where great things can occur.
“Sanctuary” connotes protection, which is especially important considering that the students, in seeking out the cave, are evading the stifling structure and rules which dominate Welton. At the same time, the simile is describing the reverence with which the boys are standing silently. By emphasizing the lack of noise produced by the students, the simile juxtaposes the moment immediately preceding the first Dead Poets Society meeting with the meeting itself, during which the students are loud and boisterous. After all, the Dead Poets Society is centered around reading poetry aloud with passion and fervor.
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