Memorizing Poems: A Path to Intellectual Growth

It's a commendable goal to try to memorize one poem a month. Poetry, with its rich history and profound emotions, can be a powerful tool for intellectual and emotional growth.

Getting Started with Poets of Note

Let's start by looking at some famous poets whose beautiful and memorable short poems can serve as great starting points. Here are a few suggestions that you might find both enjoyable and challenging:

Alfred Tennyson: Ulysses - A profound poem that encapsulates the pursuit of knowledge and the desire to continue living despite challenges. William Butler Yeats: To begin with a short piece, consider The Lake Isle of Innisfree. Those who wish to explore longer works might enjoy Lapis Lazuli or The Second Coming. Gerard Manley Hopkins: Pied Beauty is a lovely choice, along with Carrion Comfort and Spring and Fall: To a Young Child. Mark Strand: Eating Poetry is a delightful choice, as is Ars Poetica by Archibald MacLeish, which provides a deeper look into the essence of poetry itself. If you are open to non-English poets, consider Déjeuner du matin by Jorge Luis Borges or Les Djinns by Victor Hugo. Basho: For those interested in haiku, exploring Basho's works can be both rewarding and enlightening.

Memorizing Excerpts from Longer Works

Memorizing entire poems can be daunting, especially for younger individuals. Instead, consider memorizing shorter excerpts from longer works. For example:

Don Juan (by Lord Byron): While it's challenging to memorize the entire poem, there are humorous passages that might stand out. Paradise Lost (by John Milton): Though it can be tough to memorize the whole work, powerful passages of ten to twenty lines can be memorized. Tao Te Ching (by Laozi): While the entire text is extensive, a few stanzas here and there can be quite quotable.

Passion and Purpose in Memorization

The passage you memorize is the passage you love. Engage with the poetry, and the memorization process will become more natural and enjoyable. If you are doing this purely for the purpose of impressing others, you may find the memorization process to be a boring and tedious task. However, if you have a deep passion for literature and an insatiable thirst for the classics, go ahead and dive into those books!

Literature is like music—learn it through passion and immersion. For me, my love for my favorite passages plants them immediately in my consciousness, making it easier to fill in the blanks rather than starting from scratch. So, immerse yourself in the world of literature and poetry, read plays, spend time in libraries, and explore used bookstores. You'll find that reading and memorizing poetry will be an enriching and transformative experience.

Best of luck on your journey to becoming a better-read, more passionate, and more interesting individual!