Oh Captain, My Captain

That your pain was so great, breaks my heart, because your light has gone out. That the darkness snuffed out such a beacon of inspiration is a true tragedy.

This man was such a huge part of my life, without me ever knowing him in person. This man inspired me in so many ways, from being part of the Peter Pan canon that I studied relentlessly, to having inspired a junior in high school during English class and going on to make me want to use Dead Poets Society for my forensics piece that I did the best job ever on. He has spanned every aspect of my life, touching each part of it in some small way that makes such a huge impression.

Now, as a teacher, I found myself constantly thinking about him and his character's dedication to teaching literature and writing WITH A PASSION! Whose performance drove me to create my own poetry parlor and try to foster that primal understanding of emotion in writing.Even more, I loved how unique he was.

I have literally been in tears for hours after hearing the news. Bombarded by the television and social media outlets. My heart goes out to his family and I hope that he found the peace he needed.

Your verse inspired millions, Oh Captain, My Captain. RIP Robin Williams, my inspiration.