The Conversation

Ode to the poem: why memorising poetry still matters for human connection

Author: Veronica Alfano, Research Fellow, Australian Catholic University

Committing poetry to memory is so much more than a rote exercise.Taylor Ann Wright/Unsplash

Memorising poetry was once common in classrooms. But it has, for the most part, gone out of style. There are good reasons for this.

Memorisation can clash with creativity and analytical thought. Rote learning can be seen as mindless, drone-like, something...

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