THE POETRY STREET JOURNAL

Here is news about poetry, in the times

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/books/review/Holt-t.html?_r=1


Myth No. 1: Poetry is painful to memorize. It is not at all painful. Just do a line or two a day.

Myth No. 2: There isn’t enough room in your memory to store a lot of poetry. Bad analogy. Memory is a muscle, not a quart jar.

Myth No. 3: Everyone needs an iPod. You do not need an iPod. Memorize poetry instead.

Last edited by WordSlinger 04-06-2009 at 12:35:02 PM

Re: NY TIMES/ Poetry

By the time I have finished a piece - I have it memorized. I can, by memory, recall at least two dozen of my own works, a few of Shakespeare's soliloquys (To be, or not to be, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous....yeah, yeah yeah) - and some of my favorite classics, ie: Stopping by the woods....and I practice with the Declaration of Independence.

I was amazed, when recently challenged by friends, to recite "Twas The Night Before Christmas" - I flubbed one line (and I memorized this when I was twelve).

Memory is a "muscle" mechanism and only gets stronger when you insist on using it on a regular basis.