Dead Poets Society has the following ode to life as life:

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion.

"And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.

"To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; 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.

"...the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"

According to Keating (Williams' character in the show), we stay alive for life, expressed in poetry, literature, art, etc. And life is about contributing a verse (to life) or at least the contemplation and celebration of the contribution.

Round the merry go round.

The good 'verses' we usually contribute are in non-poetic form i.e. a new bridge, community-helping inventions, a fresh scientific theory or just plain hard work wherever we are.

And these non-poetic activities ('life') serve to support 'Life' i.e. sonnets and paintings and feelings and dispositions which give expressionn to that eternal French-kiss ectasy of existence.

Keating was pretty positive about things, wasn't he?