I had a fun little experience a week or so ago (perhaps two weeks) when I was walking into the Taylor building going to one of my classes. In the hall, I spotted an acquaintance of mine helping another student memorize a soliloquy for Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Now, I had read Macbeth in my Jr. Honors English class in High School, and we were asked to memorize that soliloquy. My teacher told us NOT to memorize it to a tune or anything, and I think that her reason was that it wasn’t an effective form of memorization or something. My friend and I promptly proceeded to memorize it to the popular LDS primary tune, “Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree.” And I am proud to say that, 2 or 3 years later, I still have it completely memorized.
Now, I love Mrs. Madsen, she was a great teacher, and I felt sad to see her retire: other students who came after me would not be able to have her as a teacher. She did a great job, and I think others share my sentiments. But if her reasons for having us try to memorize the soliloquy without a song were that it was not effective, I am here to tell you that it was.
As I passed this student whom I did not know, and as she struggled with the final line, “full of sound and fury…” I said, almost conversationally, “signifying nothing,” and walked on. My acquaintance said something to the effect of, “Gabe, you’re so cool,” as I left, and I felt pretty awesome about it. Like I’m fitting into an English niche, which is my aim.
But, hey, it’s not me. It’s memorization to a tune. So anyone can be so awesome. :)
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time. And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to a dusty death. Out! Out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow; a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
It's an effective mode of memorization, people. And it sticks with you.
I had a seminary teacher in high school with an acoustic guitar and he would bring it in and teach us mastery scriptures to a tune. Twenty years later the only mastery scriptures I remember are his.
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY!
ReplyDelete"Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." - Isaiah 1:18
That was one in my (was it sophomore) year of high school. Still remember it.