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Day 10
Memorize “If”
Before Google and the internet, people memorized stuff. When your
grandpa went to school, memorization was the main method of learning,
and he had to commit things like the Gettysburg Address and sonnets by
William Shakespeare to memory. Decades ago, rote leaning went entirely
out of fashion amongst educators, in favor of helping students think creatively
and problem solve. Yet, the pendulum swung a bit too far, and the
baby got chucked out with the bathwater. For in truth, there are many
advantages to memorizing information. After all, while it’s important to
be able to think and apply knowledge, if you don’t have any knowledge to
apply, knowing how to apply it is pretty useless. This is where memorization
comes in.
The ancient Greeks understood this. They began the schooling of their
young men by having them memorize the poetry of Homer or the wise
words of Solon, the founder of Athenian democracy. The Athenians
believed that by memorizing great poetry they were helping their citizens
develop a mastery of language that would serve them well in the halls of
the Assembly. Moreover, memorization of noble poetry burned the ideals
of Athenian society deep into the souls of its citizens.
The West’s most famous wordsmith, William Shakespeare, gained his
education by memorizing the epic poetry of the classical world. Through
this practice, the Bard developed an ear for the sophisticated rhythms and
patterns of language, helping him churn out some of civilization’s most
cherished pieces of literature. Moreover, by memorizing the myths and stories
of the ancient world, Shakespeare had a fountain of creative resources
to draw upon as he wrote his plays.