- Mr. Keating sits next to Mr. McAllister at dinner, and Mr. McAllister lectures Mr. Keating about his choice to encourage the students to be creative and pursue their dreams.
- Meanwhile, at their table, the group of guys examine an old yearbook. They've found Mr. Keating's page and see that he was involved in something called "The Dead Poets Society."
- They question him about it in the schoolyard after dinner.
- It's a secret, Mr. Keating says, and he goes on to explain what the meetings involved. They would "suck the marrow out of life" like Thoreau commanded. They'd gather in a cave and read poetry aloud, letting poetry "work its magic."
- The bell rings, and Neil proposes to the guys that they reinstate the Dead Poets Society that night.
- As they prepare for the night, Neil finds a book titled Five Centuries of Verse.
- Inside, there's an inscription from Mr. Keating that's meant to be read at the opening of every DPS meeting.
- Neil smiles.