Do you have any favorite poems memorized? Or do you intend, down the road, to memorize works that really inspire you?
This a great article from The New Yorker on the history of memorization of verse and why we all should continue to do it in the present:
After reading the article, I am making a concerted effort to fully commit to memory both Because I could not stop for Death by Emily Dickinson and The Kiss by Anne Sexton; because they are my poetic heroines, these are two of my favorite works of theirs, and I had completely memorized both works at one time in the past. I do have Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge memorized (and have since adolescence), because it has an Indiana Jones feel, and the images continue to be very vivid to me to this day.
I also believe (as a lot of other writers do), that reading is as important as writing is to one’s craft. Memorization is the next logical step in the evolution of reading. If you commit poems you truly love to memory, then you can read them directly out of your head and use them as you write!
Enjoy!
Jamy
Reblogged this on Kith and Kin : The Sisters Grinn.
I have a very silly poem committed to memory…. and I have no idea why! haha. Great blog, shall follow!
Thank you! I am following yours now as well!!
great! shall i tell you my silly poem? it’s not rude i promise.
LOL…Sure! As long as it’s not about a “Man from Nantucket”…Ha ha haaaaa
ok so I blame my Mother for this, she used to recite it a lot. it goes….
‘the common cormorant or shag lays eggs inside a paper bag.
The reason as you’ll see, no doubt, it is to keep the lightning out.
But what these unobservant birds have never noticed…
is that herds of wandering bears may come with buns and steal the bags to hold the crumbs’…
That’s actually quite fun! It reminds me of Lewis Carroll a bit! Thanks for sharing!
Reblogged this on yasniger and commented:
Interesting perspective
Thanks for the Re-Blog!!