How to memorize a poem?

Question

can't do it. I have been practising for 5 days and today is the last day and i only have one of three stanzas memorized for the raven. I always get distracted and even when i learn it i forget right after. I repeat it over and over and i write it down but i can not memorize Stanzas 13 14 and 15 from the poem by Edgar Allen Poe: The Raven.
Do i have a medical condition or something?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

You have to feel the poem. Do you understand the poem?
It has to be a personal experience. When you say it, it must feel like you are creating it out loud all alone for the first time...but it feels so personal and perfect that its okay that nobody heard you. Then you won't forget it.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Well i got an F on it, so... yeah.

Answer 2

Memorizing something as difficult as that is really hard. Try to relax. Take it stanza by stanza. Once you have it memorized to a certain point, work on to the next stanza. Writing the entire poem down a few times by hand is helpful. Typing it out doesn't help as you aren't really concentrating on what you are doing, whereas writing it out takes a lot of concentration. Then, try to memorize from your written version. This may help as it makes it more personal for you. Don't stay up all night working on this, better to go to bed, get well rested and then start again in the morning while you're fresh. Good Luck!!!!

Answer 3

There are four distinct ways of memorizing. Each person falls into one or more of these categories. Some people have better visual memory, i.e., the more they see something, read it, the better they remember it. Some people have a better aural memory, i.e., the more they hear it, the better they remember it. And, some people have better tactile memory, i.e., touching or feeling, for example musicians, what needs memorizing works best. Last, some people memorize things in relationship to other things, looking for connections between the items that they need to memorize.

And, of course, many people use a combination of two or more of the above.

So, the key to memorizing is figuring out how you learn best: ears, eyes, touch, relating or a combination of these.

You may be using the wrong method for you. So try one or a combination of methods listed above to find out what works for you.

Good luck!