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September Memorize Poetry Month

Posted by deborah

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Since there’s April Poetry Month, I hereby declare September to be “Memorize Poetry” month. You don’t even have to memorize all the poems in the world — only four.

One poem per week…how difficult can that be? Here are rules:

1. One poem can be shorter than 10 lines. Ideally, the others should be longer than 10 lines.

Only one rule and four poems in month…easy, aye?

If you’re in, let me know in the comments.

Towards the beginning of September, we can all share the titles we want to memorize. Perhaps we’ll discover some poems we’ve not read before.

If you’re super high tech, you can even record yourself and post it to your blog or web site — or send it to me to post if you have no blog or web site.

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17 Responses to “September Memorize Poetry Month”

  1. Peter P, on August 5th, 2007 at 11:27 pm Said:

    This is a great idea.
    I am in.

  2. Sally Molini, on August 6th, 2007 at 1:27 am Said:

    Can we count parts of some of Shakespeare’s plays? For the last few days I’ve been memorizing the opening lines (Duke Orsino’s) of Twelfth Night, planned to do others. Feels good.

  3. Robin Reagler, on August 6th, 2007 at 10:36 am Said:

    Cool idea. I am tempted….

  4. Michael Gushue, on August 6th, 2007 at 11:18 am Said:

    I love this idea! I was at a writer’s retreat thingie a month ago and everyone could reel off stanza after stanza, while I had nothing. I surprised they didn’t shun me. Please count me in!

  5. deborah, on August 6th, 2007 at 12:44 pm Said:

    Sally, I see no reason why we can’t include Shakespeare plays. After all, we’re making up the rules!

  6. Jeff Newberry, on August 6th, 2007 at 5:48 pm Said:

    Right now, I can do Tennyson’s “Crossing the Bar” and about a quarter of his “Ulysses.” Like Steve S., I can do “This Be the Verse,” but I think I’ll try “Verse De Societe” (Larkin) and a couple of others.

    What a great idea!

  7. David, on August 6th, 2007 at 7:57 pm Said:

    I guess already-memorized work doesn’t count toward the goal? Eh, I’m in anyway.

  8. deborah, on August 6th, 2007 at 10:53 pm Said:

    David,
    You are correct. We must all memorize something new to make it a challenge.

    Deb

  9. Jessy, on August 7th, 2007 at 10:52 am Said:

    I’ll do it! A worthy use of time, I’d say. I haven’t memorized a poem in about 15 years. Have you ever heard Dana Gioia read? He recites! He’s memorized many of his own poems. I’m not going to try that.

  10. The Salt-Box :: September as Memorize Poetry Month, on August 7th, 2007 at 10:11 pm Said:

    […] 32 poems, Deborah Ager’s agitating for September to be “Memorize Poetry Month,” with participants pledging to memorize a poem a […]

  11. Michael Gushue, on August 8th, 2007 at 9:12 pm Said:

    I think one of them has to be one of Shakespeare’s sonnets. What y’all think? Which one?

  12. deborah, on August 8th, 2007 at 9:57 pm Said:

    Michael, That sounds like a good idea to me. I’ll make that a suggestion, though, instead of a requirement. =)

  13. Pamela, on August 14th, 2007 at 7:20 am Said:

    I’m in. (I like the Shakespeare sonnet suggestion,too). Thanks.

  14. Sherry Chandler » September Memorize Poetry Month, on August 20th, 2007 at 5:40 am Said:

    […] A challenge from Deborah Ager of 32 Poems: Since there’s April Poetry Month, I hereby declare September to be “Memorize Poetry” month. You don’t even have to memorize all the poems in the world — only four. […]

  15. Goodbye August and Hello September » Deborah Ager + 32 Poems Poetry Magazine, on September 4th, 2007 at 2:27 pm Said:

    […] you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!It’s time to memorize some poems, […]

  16. Louise Crawford, on September 11th, 2007 at 10:00 am Said:

    I’m in. I’m starting with a Shakespeare sonnet or a Emily Dickinson I think. Louise

  17. Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes » Deborah Ager + 32 Poems Poetry Magazine, on October 10th, 2007 at 6:33 am Said:

    […] learned is that Plath bit Hughes’s cheek upon their first meeting. Also (and impressively) she memorized several of his poems before attending a party where she knew he might be. She shouted them out at the party. I’m […]

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