How to Memorize Poems for Confidence and Cognitive Power

Today, many people see memorizing and reciting poetry as an old-school endeavor. On the contrary, memorizing poetry continues to be a relevant and useful activity in 2024. By doing the work to commit poems to memory, you can give more engaging spoken word performances and poetry readings. It’s also a great way to exercise your brain power, boost your self-esteem, and improve your articulation. To help you get started, here are some poetry memorization techniques for all types of learners. 

1. Pick the right poem. 

To memorize a poem, you will need to spend a lot of time with it—so, the most important criterion for that poem is that it’s enjoyable and meaningful to you personally. You won’t be motivated enough to fully commit the poem to memory if it’s one you don’t like or understand. For that reason, it’s ideal to start with a poem that resonates with you emotionally, or even one you wrote yourself. 

Secondly, try to start with a poem that has a strong cadence, meter, and rhyme scheme, such as a poem in iambic pentameter like “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus, or iambic tetrameter like “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. The music of it will serve as audible checkpoints that will help you remember the lines in order. Later, when you’ve successfully committed short, metered poems to memory, you can move on to memorizing longer, more complex forms like free verse. 

2. Read it repeatedly, using an index card to cover up lines. 

Next, read the poem to yourself, both silently and out loud, over and over again. Read it slowly and then fast, reread lines you stumble over, and pay attention to the interplay between the poem’s sounds and messages. Through repetition, you can deeply engage with the meaning and music of the poem and start to notice the little nuances and sticking points you’ll need to overcome to be able to recite it effectively.

Once you start to remember the order of the poem, use an index card to cover up the lines as you read. Try to recite the next line from memory before you reveal it from under the index card. 

3. Copy it down by hand. 

If you’re a tactile learner, copying poems down by hand can be a great memorization technique. Unlike typing or speaking, writing by hand requires deeper focus and creates a multi-sensory experience. It also tends to slow down the speed at which you digest the poem, forcing you to think more carefully about what it means and why the writer made certain choices. This slowed process, activated motor memory, and heightened attention all work together to reinforce your long-term memory.

4. Record yourself reading and listen to it. 

This technique pairs both auditory and motor memory to help you recall the poem more easily. Reading aloud gives you a feel for how the words flow in your own mouth, and hearing the poem read back to you—whether in your own voice or someone else’s—provides auditory cues that can aid in memorization. 

Plus, hearing yourself read aloud can help you practice skills associated with spoken word and poetry readings. The more confident you become in your own speaking voice, the easier it’ll be to share your poetry in front of an audience. Just take it slow, and try to sound as authentic as possible to avoid the weird “poet voice.”

5. Create visual mnemonics for each line or stanza.

If you’re a visual learner, you might find this technique to be the most useful. Break the poem down into individual lines or stanzas, and write each one on the lined side of an index card. On the other side of the index card, sketch a simple image or symbol that helps you recall the corresponding line. Then, simply flip through the index cards and let the images trigger your memory. 

6. Recite it to your friends and family.

Round up some nonjudgemental loved ones and practice reciting the poem in person. Adding an audience (even if it’s just your mom) can increase the psychological pressure, and you’ll probably blank a few times when you first start reciting your poem. But that pressure will help reveal the weakest points in your memory, so you know which parts you still need to revisit.

Ultimately, the best reason to memorize your favorite poems is that you get to keep them with you forever. You can recall them any time you need comfort in trying times, courage for difficult acts, or relief from anxiety. If you’re not sure where to start, try picking a poem from one of these 5 feel-good poetry collections to settle the mind.