Apparently Wordsworth's "I wandered lonely as a cloud" is commonly memorized by schoolchildren in East Asia, at least according to Dr. Reed. This got me thinking about the few times in school I had to memorize poetry. In third grade, I memorized a poem called "Johnny Stuck Jellybeans Up His Nose" that I remember to this day- a thrilling tale of peer pressure and death by Jellybean. In fifth grade, I memorized the Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll, because I was on an Alice in Wonderland kick. I don't remember all of that one anymore, except a few lines that included frightfully weird words like "bandersnatch" and "brillig". I've memorized a few poems since then, never on purpose, but always from the urge to repeat a string of words that feel good together.
Should we memorize poems more? Maybe the practice in elementary school stemmed from some memory development technique rather than the appreciation of poetry itself-more a means than an end. Or maybe we don't feel the same magic of beautiful words that we did before it became embarrassing to be un-ironically enthusiastic about an art that so vulnerably connects us to something bigger. After all, there's a reason the most heartfelt prayers are silent.
Regardless, I want to memorize more poetry.
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