Memorization Successes and Later Failures

[Dead Cat]

http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/59923/

Any readers want to chime in?

I am very sad to have lost the Gettysburg Address--I blame my mom. She told me after I had memorized it for my class about how she had mixed it up with the 13th Article of Faith ("dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal--indeed we may say we follow the admonition of Paul..."). The scripture survived, but the speech did not.

I think I can still sing all the Animaniacs lists (states/capitals, countries, presidents, ingredients, etc.) and many more besides. I've always been good with silly songs.

Pi, however, isl at the top of the list I'm most proud of, even if I have lost a lot of it. It has become what I usually say during those "say one unique thing about yourself" moments.

[wired]

Are you asserting that you have memorized every digit of pi?

Joke.

[Unit of Energy]

I have memorized so many poems and scriptures in my life, and I've forgotten most of them. I do remember just about every birthday that I've ever been told. Siblings, cousins, siblings crushes, aunts, uncles, friends, etc., if you've told me your birthday in person, I'm likely to remember it.

[bobtheenchantedone]

I'm still pretty proud of pi, even though I only have about digits 30 memorized instead of 72.

I used to have 25 hymns memorized, all verses. I can still do most of them pretty well, most notably things like A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief and Redeemer of Israel. Right now I'm working on having the tune and first verse of every single hymn memorized. Yeah, I'll update you on that in about five years.

In high school, I wrote a solo version of Pirates of Penzance, which I performed with various hats to differentiate between characters. I am sad that I don't have that memorized any more.

I'm proud of my memorization skills in general. I've always been pretty good at it, memorizing things in one afternoon with some effort or in a few days without much effort.

[C is for]

I lost this post I was writing. I still have the Articles of Faith memorized, and the YW theme, and the words to many, many songs and hymns. And the Book of Mormon scripture mastery.

I've also still got the first stanza of "O hushed October morning mild" memorized (I know because it was the beginning of the post I was writing), which I learned in 8th grade.

As far as "pieces" that don't have words, I still remember almost every piano piece I've ever memorized.

Oh, and the chemical structure of amino acids. I have all those memorized still. Helpful for when I want to write secret messages to people that they won't be able to decode.

[TheAnswerIs42]

Like Paperback Writer, I was in Forensics (High School speech team). Most events are ten minute memorized peices, like she mentioned. But instead of Dramatic Interp, I was in Oratorical Interp where we performed speeches other people gave. Most people did serious, MLK level stuff. I did Mark Twain speeches, and they were awesome. That guy is hilarious. I remember they were so memorized that I would just say the first sentence and then I didn't have to pay attention anymore- just keep track of my hand motions and other things. Ten minutes later, I would sit down. Sadly, both speeches (one from each year) are gone.

Gettysburg address is in there somewhere too.

[Dead Cat]

Are you asserting that you have memorized every digit of pi?

Yes, yes I am. There's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0. Unless, of course, you're in binary, hexadecimal, or some other non-decimal system.

[ahem.]

I had the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence in seventh grade. I can piece it together now, but I can't recite it cold.

And I had to memorize the "To be, or not to be..." soliloquy from Hamlet in high school. I can still do most of it, but get things out of order. At the time I knew it backwards and forwards, but I failed dismally when I had to recite it in front of the class. Seriously. I started with "whether tis nobler in the mind," skipping "to be or not to be" which is arguably the most famous line in the history of famous things. I was really mad because I worked so hard on memorizing it and the "performance" was 50% of the memorization grade (the other half was writing it down, which I totally aced).

I also had all of the Scripture Mastery verses memorized in their entirety during high school. I even memorized JSH 1:15-20, which is crazy long. But as time wore on, I've lost most of them. I can still recall the key phrases, but not the context. I can really only recite word-for-word the really short and snappy ones.

So in conclusion, I have terrible long term recall.

[Tao]

My mind likes to play tricks on me with things like this. Things I try to memorize I usually do alright with for a number of months bordering on years, then no guarantees. Some things I don't try to memorize I'll probably carry to my grave (Some of Eddie Izzard's skits fall under this category, one exposure and i could quote massive chunks of his routine, though my French probably was horrendous). Some things are half and half. RP mentioned the Tomorrow, tomorrow bit, and my mind rushed off the next couple of lines before derailing at the idea it was from Macbeth. Somehow I was sure it was the Tempest (hint: it's not). I've used 16 digit randomized strings from a video game as a password, yet stumble when asked to recite my cell phone number.

Oh, and I wasn't exposed to the 50 states song until after my mission. When challenged to list all 50 in under 2 (3?) minutes, I was outshone by my companion who grew up with it. I missed Indiana and ... Utah.

[Marduk]

Lessee, once I get something down, it is generally easy to recall, even years later. I did the preamble to the constitution in 10th grade, and I just said it thirty seconds ago, no problem. Most devices stay in my head, especially the acronym based ones (Kings Play Chess On Fine Grained Sand, anyone?) I never worked on scripture mastery, but can still do most of them anyways (although not as well. My memorization is not as good when it isn't actively done.) I preferred to memorize scriptures that had (and have) meaning to me; in that vein, I can do Isaiah 53, 2 Nephi 25:26, 2 Nephi 2:13, and a few others. I have only worked on memorizing a few hymns, namely, Praise to the Man, If You Could Hie to Kolob, Rock of Ages, Lead Kindly Light, and about 10 others. I would say though that I know all the way through about 10 that I've never intentionally worked on, and the first verse of about half the hymns in the hymnal.

My family is often annoyed at how easily memory comes to me.

[ahem.]

I would say though that I know all the way through about 10 that I've never intentionally worked on, and the first verse of about half the hymns in the hymnal.

I rarely use a hymn book unless (a) it's a really obscure hymn or (b) I'm trying to figure out a harmony and need to see the music. I find it ridiculously easy to remember things that are set to music. That's how I remember the Articles of Faith, the order of the books in the Old Testament, and all of the prophets in order.

[Darth Fedora]

You guys are nuts. I think I have like two scriptures permanently memorized, and aside from song lyrics, that's seriously it. I've "memorized" all the scripture masteries at one time or another, but things like that have always been a cram-and-regurgitate kind of deal. I'm impressed by people who can retain that stuff easily.

[Whistler]

I'm not much for memorization either. For a while I had the Russian poem "ya vas loobil" memorized... most of the things I have memorized are flute solos (Mozart G major concerto anyone?).

[TK]

My dad bribed me to memorize one of his favorite poems "The Cremation of Sam McGee"... Road trips, baby. It's all about the road trips. At one point I had it well enough to receive the bribe, but now it's fallen apart somewhat...

[Puckish Fiend]

I've got some good Shakespeare memorized from my drama time in HS. Go figure.

[Yarjka]

I did a lot of memorization back in Jr. High -- but most of it is now forgotten (the periodic table, anyone?). I still remember the list of helping verbs that we had to know for English class. That's probably the most obscure thing I'll still recite on occasion. I also know the Preamble to the constitution (I just tested myself - I still know it, hooray!). My Elementary School song is still fresh in my head, so that's the earliest thing I remember memorizing.

I can still do the Greek alphabet that I memorized for fun back then, and I can do it backwards. Along with the English alphabet backwards (and forwards, of course). And the Russian alphabet backwards and forwards.

I have lots of Russian poetry memorized, but that's a more recent acquisition. We'll see how long it lasts.

I don't remember any of the scripture mastery, apparently. How sad. But even worse, I mess up on the Articles of Faith now, too! I still know the books of the New Testament, though, and the books of the Book of Mormon. I also know the prophets up to Benson (it's not too hard to tack on Hunter, Hinckley, and Monson, but it still kind of throws me off). I memorized D&C 121:34-46 on my mission, and I still remember parts of it. I used to love to quote that at meetings and such. It was my go to soliloquy.

[Emiliana]

I got into poetry memorization for awhile in college, but I'm afraid I've lost most of it now. But at one point I knew:
-"To be or not to be" from Hamlet
-The "Our little life is rounded with a sleep" speech from The Tempest
-"The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot
-Sonnet 116 ("Let me not to the marriage of true minds")
-A little-known dramatic monologue by Augusta Webster called "Circe" (http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/circe/ -- you should read it; it's brilliant.)
-"Death Be Not Proud" by John Donne
-"Batter My Heart" by John Donne
-"Blackwater Wood" by Mary Oliver
-"Carrion Comfort" by Gerard Manly Hopkins
-"Supernatural Love" by Gjertrude Schnackenburg

... And probably some more that I've forgotten. This past spring I memorized nearly all of Romans 8 during Lent, but I've lost a lot of that, now, too. Scripture is harder than poetry, I think.

Also, can I just say how much I love that Queen Alice has "Come into the Garden" memorized? "Maud" is a fantastic poem that far too few people have read.

[thebigcheese]

Hmm...apparently I wasn't forced to memorize as much as some of you guys.

- I had to memorize poems for French class, and I only remember fragments of them now (Le Corbeau et Le Renard, Jean de la Fontaine).
- I had to memorize the states and capitals, and I still remember most of them.
- I had to memorize the 13 Articles of Faith, and I STILL REMEMBER EVERY SINGLE ONE! Woohoo!

(Never really learned my scripture mastery though. Dang it.)