He was given soccer instead. Even in the Dead Poets Society, Todd was an observer, not a participant. He was afraid to read out loud and afraid to participate. However, by the end of the movie, Todd has found his voice by proving he could stand up and express himself when it really mattered. Todd is the first to stand on the desk in respect for Keating.
Todd's worst fear is that his life has no meaning, and therefore, he has no verse to contribute. For example, after the first day of class, Todd writes "Carpe Diem" on his paper, dreaming of what it would be like if he, too, could contribute a verse and be great like those in the picture. His insecurity gets the better of him, though, and he throws out the paper believing he has nothing to contribute.
Later, in class, after being asked to write a poem, Todd tells Keating he never completed the assignment after he spent many hours writing and revising his poem only to have thrown it away before class. This is a prime example of Todd's struggle between romanticism and realism, where Todd begins dreaming of future possibilities and ways of expressing himself only to have his realistic expectations crash down on him and diminish his thoughts of potential greatness.
Keating sees through Todd's fear and first makes him yawp, and later makes him say whatever comes to mind. This is the beginning of the change in Todd.
"I close my eyes and this image floats beside me The sweaty-toothed madman with a stare that pounds my brains His hands reach out and choke me And all the time he's mumbling Truth, like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold. You push it, stretch it, it will never be enough Kick it beat it, it will never cover any of us. From the moment we enter crying, to the moment we leave dying, it will just cover your face as you wail and cry and scream.".
In this poem, Todd is saying that the madman is passion, but passion (the blanket) is not enough, it leaves you cold and exposed.
