Greetings, friends!
To memorize a verse – at first glance, it seems difficult and boring. But the process can be made fast and fun if you follow a few simple rules. Let’s find out which 7 steps will help you learn a verse quickly. Just follow them in order. So
1. Read with expression
Imagine reading a poem from the stage. As you say each line, think about its meaning to understand how it should sound. You can show all your acting skills, emphasizing important moments with facial expressions and gestures, changing not only intonation, but also the timbre of the voice. This method helps everyone because it uses the auditory memory to the maximum. But it is most effective for audiences – people who perceive information best by ear.
2. Retell the plot in your own words
At the very beginning, read the text, pondering the meaning of each sentence. Retell the plot, trying to remember every detail. Having memorized the sequence of thoughts, it will be much easier to learn the poem. In addition, in some cases it will help not to confuse the sequence of stanzas.
3. Rewrite the poem by hand
This method is often used by people trying to figure out on their own how to quickly learn a poem and remember it for a long time. Reread it several times. Then write it down on paper, trying to reproduce as much of the parts as possible from memory. For example, try reading a verse and writing it down without looking at the source. This will signal to the brain that the information is important and needs to be memorized well.
4. Visualize the plot
Try to understand as best you can the logic, sequence and relationship of events in different paragraphs. To make it easier for yourself, draw a plot diagram on paper. If you can draw, you can illustrate all the significant scenes. Of course, it is not always possible to come up with a meaningful image. But the very attempts to portray the action will help you better understand and remember it. Even if the poem does not have an evolving storyline of some sequence of events, a way can be found to schematically show the relationship between thoughts.
5. Pay attention to incomprehensible points
Poems often use unusual word forms and fanciful phrases, the meaning of which is not always clear. Many of us memorize such sites without delving into them. Fortunately, rhyme helps to restore them in memory literally by syllables. But it will be much easier to learn a poem if you deal with all the difficult points and fully understand the meaning of the text. At the same time, vocabulary can be replenished.
6. Find the most memorable moments
Highlight the “catchy” moments in the poem. This can be a phrase you like, an unusual plot twist, a rare word, or a non-standard use of a term – any detail that attracts attention. Take note of these points and remember their relative positions. Now the poem can be divided into easy-to-remember fragments, even if it was not originally divided into stanzas. You can even specifically highlight one catchy phrase for every four lines.
7. Memorize sequentially in blocks
Many people use this method intuitively. You can learn a poem by stanzas, divide it into quatrains, or highlight blocks of meaning using the previous advice. Each block of text must be memorized thoroughly, and only after that move on to the next. After memorizing each next block, the entire learned part of the poem must be repeated from the very beginning.
During the study, it is advisable to take short breaks. To achieve maximum concentration, it is recommended to rest for 10-15 minutes after every 25-30 minutes of study. During rest, do not try to reproduce phrases from the studied poem – try to think about something completely foreign.
At night, while sleeping, the brain will process and fix the important information received during the day, including the learned poem. The next day, it is advisable to repeat it as early as possible – this will further consolidate it, reminding the brain that this is important information.
Advantages of memorizing poems
We all learned poems when we were children and went to school. But adults should also do this regularly, as it is a useful memory exercise. Now that we have detailed how to learn a verse quickly, it will be much easier for you to do this. And to keep you motivated, keep in mind a few beneficial effects of studying poems:
- This is a great exercise to develop long-term memory. In addition, regularly memorizing poetry develops perseverance, and the feeling of your own progress increases self-esteem.
- Knowledge of a large number of poems and passages from classical literature will allow you often use appropriate quotes in a conversation, making a pleasant impression on others.
- New associative connections are developed, horizons expand, verbal-linguistic intelligence rises.
- The vocabulary expands, the understanding of individual words improves, due to which the speech of a person who knows a lot of poems inevitably becomes more literate and beautiful.
By the way, you can learn poems by doing various useful chores around the house and whether any mechanical work that does not require mental effort. You can also record a poem on the recorder in your smartphone, and then listen to it several times while jogging.
Want to learn poetry even faster?
Friends, did you know that memory lends itself well to training, and it can be noticeably improved even in a short time? Yes, you have to work a little, but an excellent memory in life is very, very useful. In my opinion, the best training for developing memory is the online course “Mnemonics” from Wikium.
The course includes:
- 7 unique online simulators for mnemonics
- A set of key memorization techniques
- Introductory and final tests
- Memory Development Program
This course will help:
- Master mnemonics and use them in everyday life
- Memorize the necessary information in any quantity
- Faster and easier to learn foreign languages
- It is more effective to study in any field
- To amaze others with your abilities
Wish you luck!
