Comments on: Veteran’s Day

By: Jane Goodwin

Jane Goodwin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:56:00 +0000

I do. I believe that memorizing poems, etc, teaches us mental discipline. Having a treasure trove of wonders in our heads also gives us fewer excuses to be bored.

By: Liz Ditz

Liz Ditz — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:27:31 +0000

In my mountaineering days (late teens & early twenties) I memorized a lot of poems and set pieces — everything from Robert Service to Shakespeare.

Are they still in my brain? Probably. Can I recite them now? No. Still, have they affected my thinking and writing? I suspect so.

Should teachers now be requiring memorization? I think so — but perhaps not to word-perfect without prompting.

What do you think? Is there a value to memorization (or even partial memorization)?

By: Cousin C

Cousin C — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:33:39 +0000

This one and all of the others that she had us memorize. I still remember them all, too. God Bless America and dear old Mrs. Roberts!