It remains a mystery why Tweetspeak Poetry chose Prufrock for me to memorize. If they didn’t feel like I was done with Thomas E, or he with me, and they wanted me to extend my brainy pathways with something long, they could have chosen a more sing-songy piece—like maybe something from the Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats—say “Growltiger’s Last Stand.”
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who travelled on a barge;
In fact he was the roughest cat that ever roamed at large.
From Gravesend up to Oxford he pursued his evil aims,
Rejoicing in his title of ‘The Terror of the Thames.’
Couplets in the cortex. Read it three times. Recite it a couple times. Maybe even sing it. Boom! Memorized. Even easier than The Stolen Child.
I’ve come to realize, though, there’s always a method behind Tweetspeak’s mischief, and at least their dares come wreathed with fun: surprises behind every door and fires in every synapse.
So it’s Prufrock instead of Growltiger. Perhaps it’s important that Prufrock was Eliot’s launch into published poetrydom in 1915—all 139 lines written, by the way, when he was only 22 years old.
They could have overheard me muttering about lost time and growing older and thought this poem might fit me even though I might have to roll up my trousers—I mean, jeans. Or maybe they chose it just because it’s “a great poem worthy of the effort.”
It’s taking me longer than a whole college semester plus Christmas vacation and spring break to finish it off. I take comfort from having read somewhere that when it comes to retention, slow and steady wins over cramming. That may account for why I can’t remember much from high school.
I said yes because I (almost) never turn down a good dare, and I wanted to prove to myself I could do it, even “at my age.” I’ve since learned that there are some very good reasons to memorize poetry—even poems the length of a Burmese python.
1. To give myself a gift
I’m in a season now of learning to give to myself, and Julia Kasdorf says “committing a poem is a form of self love, like buying yourself a gift, only better. And no one can take it away from you.”
2. To occupy myself during downtime
When I’m on a long car ride or stuck in a waiting room or an MRI “coffin” or a post office line or sprawled out on beach sand in bright sun or awake at 3 a.m., I can just call up some verses.
3. To become myself
It’s easy to blow through poetry on the page, to gulp it or swallow it whole. But to sip the words, chew them, and taste them and recite them, maybe even “perform” them—that’s a different story. Poetry is then more likely to become one, or to help one become oneself. I can’t remember where I heard the phrase, “Poetry becomes you,” but it seems to apply here. When taking poetry in through memorization, it becomes a part of a person, and also changes a person—at least it seems like it’s changing me. As I interact with it on a deeper level, emotions and memories surface, and I remember who I am and I find the me I’ve always been.
4. To become a better writer
By taking just Prufrock to heart, I’m also tucking away bits of Shakespeare and Dante, Donne and Chaucer. I’m feeding my muse a gourmet meal, ingredients that it might use to create a new recipe.
5. To have it if I need it
If I ever have a stroke or some condition that affects my ability to speak and I need to rummage for words, maybe I can call up in that present what I’ve memorized in the past. Poet Marie Ponsot recovered her speech and even ability to write more poetry after she suffered a stroke by “leaving the attic of mind,” and descending “into the depths of her heart.”
6. To stave off dementia
There’s more and more medical and scientific evidence that exercising one’s mind, including memorizing poetry, can help one grow a few extra neurons and create some new connections in the brain. Powering up my brain could grow a hedge against losing brain power.
7. To maybe live longer
If reading poetry helps us chill and reduce stress, and if stress reduction helps extend life, it stands to reason that tucking poetry in my heart might give me a little extra time to enjoy more toast and tea.
8. To give my kids some keys to my memory
If I ever do lose my own memory, my kids my be able to use poetry to unlock memories, as what happened to Tracey Guiry’s mother who lives with dementia. Reciting The Listeners together, a poem Tracey’s mom memorized 70 years earlier, triggered some childhood memories and family stories.
9. To memorize more poetry more easily
I think having several verses of Prufrock under my belt made memorizing The Stolen Child a piece of cake.
10. To simply play and have fun
And that might even be the best reason.
Read more on Sandra’s dare to Commit Prufrock
Photo by Tambako the Jaguar, Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by Sandra Heska King.
Editor’s Note: In the coming weeks, Sandra will update us on her progress and strategies for committing Prufrock. Stay tuned on Facebook and/or Twitter, where she’ll feature live video updates. We’ve given Sandra the option to Phone a Friend, so be prepared in case she calls on you to help with some Italian pronunciations or to learn a little about a part of the poem, or even to recite a stanza with her.
Want to commit Prufrock with Sandra? Download your own Committing Prufrock Poetry Dare Printable Barista Badges that you can cut out and color to celebrate all 15 sections as you memorize them. Tweet a photo with your badge to us at @tspoetry and use the hashtag #commitprufrock.
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Glynn says
I’d suggest No, 11 — memorization aids learning.
Think of children, who seem to be specially qualified for memorization. It’s how I learned multiplication – memorizing the multiplication tables. We were taught cursive in second grade, and one of the exercises was to write out “Brush your teeth, comb your hair. Give your health the best of care.” I remember the words to the songs we sang at 8th grade graduation.
My first-grader grandson can tell you the names of the oceans and continents, the state capitals, and more Bible verses than you can imagine for someone his age. Memorization isn’t as employed one education as it used to be, and I suspect that’s a contributing factor to all sorts of problems.
L.L. Barkat says
I agree with you, Glynn. 🙂 Maybe progressive education (which I loved and used with my girls, partly) tossed the baby out with the bathwater, in giving up certain approaches like memorization and handwriting. I’m coming to believe that’s true with particulars like reading-teaching, for instance. Yet, progressive education had a point, about increasing the interest and choice factor. As always, I’m looking for the intersections that are less about subjectivity and arbitrary preferences and more about brain science, generosity to the soul, and the strongest results for the greatest number of people.
So, how can we use the best of both traditional and progressive worlds? I’m thinking where that converges is high-interest materials that seamlessly provide opportunities for memorization—like this Prufrock project 🙂 . In fact, if one looks back at the memory techniques of the classicists, it is striking just how “high interest” the materials were. Crazy-fun imaging allowed them to memorize thousands of texts. The same principles, plus many more, are used by memory champs today. It’s exciting to think about bringing these techniques to kids and adults.
Number 12: memorizing poetry makes you more creative because you have more knowledge in your head with which to make new connections and juxtapositions. This is pretty good science at this point—a lack of material in our minds means not just a hard time learning (as Glynn noted) but also very little chance to be truly creative. Like trying to build a block tower without blocks. 🙂
Sandra Heska King says
“Crazy fun imaging”… “memory palace” or “method of loci.” The Greeks and Romans could give speeches that lasted hours without a note. It’s hard enough now to give a focused 20-minute talk these days without a note. I’m amazed at how much “stuff” some of those ancients were able to stuff in their heads. What if the more good stuff we could pack in could help push out some of the bad stuff? I’ll bet there’s a study on that somewhere.
And handwriting… it’s faster to type. But you have to slow down with pen and paper. We aren’t so willing to slow down these days–or these days won’t let us. I know it’s helped me to write out these verses as I’ve worked with them.
I love the term, “generosity to the soul.”
And resounding yes to making one more creative. If we’re memorizing something like poetry, especially. It’s like collecting Legos in our heads. 🙂
Sandra Heska King says
“Memorization aids learning.” Perfect, Glynn. And you are so right. There must be something about stretching our brain capacities to make room for more. I think I’ve mentioned before about how my father-in-law had to memorize all the counties in Michigan–in order of their position on the map. Sometimes I wish I’d learned that, because I often have gone back to find where our county was in relation to surrounding ones. My FIL would have been able to visualize them in his head.
And those multiplication tables… My grand-daughter had to memorize them, but she struggled, and even at 14, I’m not sure she’s got them. I love my calculator, but it’s so easy to turn to, and I think kids today are too quick to do so.
I think this particular project has also made me more curious. Because I’ve had to slow down to absorb the poem, I’ve also found myself *wanting* to hit those rabbit trails.
L.L. Barkat says
And, Sandra, I love all your reasons! 🙂 Good idea to give someone a set of keys. All the better if they’ve memorized it with you. Hee. Dare for the family.
Your recitations make the poem so much more accessible and moving for me. Thank you for doing them, for taking the poem to heart and handing it back to our hearts.
L.L. Barkat says
And, if they memorize with you, it gives reason 13: developing a rich, life-giving common language. I think this goes for the whole issue of memorizing in general. But more so for poems that say important things in impressive and creative ways.
I do believe it’s important for both families and societies and even the world to have “a common language” (a good one)—to give us a few “same page” things we can work with when it comes to creating solutions together and overall just to help us have a sense that we are linked to one another.
Sandra Heska King says
Thank you for giving me this gift, Laura. It’s given me the keys to so many doors, so many trails to explore. And yes. Family dare for the summer. What fun. I’m mulling that one over now. 😉
Thanks for mentioning the common language. I wanted to say something about that connection and forgot.
Megan Willome says
I love the image of you and the iguana sitting together to watch a Tigers game.
Even more, I love your bravery and this wonderful thing you’ve committed.
Sandra Heska King says
LOL! He just doesn’t know what he missed out on. You help me be brave, you know.
Donna says
My husband teaches science at the college level. He sometimes tells me about how difficult it can be to communicate because it says if he speaks a foreign language sometimes. We wonder about progressive education’s role here. Students are given so many choices and schools have stepped away from so many traditional activities like memorizing poems and nursery rhymes and stories. When he teaches in the college setting, he tries to connect ideas using references to what used to be common stories, poems, or nursery rhymes. Kids don’t know what they are anymore. It’s signals something like a barrier or
disintegration of common understanding.
Sandra… this is wonderful!
Donna says
( sorry ….tiny screen …. what I meant to say was he feels as if he speaking a foreign language sometimes )
Sandra Heska King says
That is really sad–that we’re moving away from a common understanding or language. No wonder it seems like we’re moving away from each other. And some days it seems like so many choices aren’t such a good thing. Life is so complicated these days. That Joe tries to incorporate what could be a common language into something that could be foreign to make more understandable is very cool. I’d fight to sign up for his class.
And thanks.
Bethany R. says
Sandra, what a rich post and list. I enjoyed the idea of giving yourself a gift no one can take from you and giving keys to family members for potential breakthrough-help.
Your viedeo reciations are charming and impressive. Love how you give yourself permission to “hit those rabbit trails,” as you said.
And this just made me smile, “I’ve come to realize, though, there’s always a method behind Tweetspeak’s mischief, and at least their dares come wreathed with fun…” There’s a whole other rabbit trail to go down. 😉
Sandra Heska King says
You always make me smile, Bethany. I do love those rabbit trails, don’t you?
Brad Evans says
Thank you for this wise counsel. How enriching.
Sandra Heska King says
Thanks, Brad. And thanks for reading.