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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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This is a great idea.
I am in.
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.
Cool idea. I am tempted….
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!
Sally, I see no reason why we can’t include Shakespeare plays. After all, we’re making up the rules!
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!
I guess already-memorized work doesn’t count toward the goal? Eh, I’m in anyway.
David,
You are correct. We must all memorize something new to make it a challenge.
Deb
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.
I think one of them has to be one of Shakespeare’s sonnets. What y’all think? Which one?
Michael, That sounds like a good idea to me. I’ll make that a suggestion, though, instead of a requirement. =)
I’m in. (I like the Shakespeare sonnet suggestion,too). Thanks.
I’m in. I’m starting with a Shakespeare sonnet or a Emily Dickinson I think. Louise
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