The Memory Box
I am establishing new memorization goals for 2012, and took this opportunity to tally all I have learned so far. Thanks to the blessing of God through the memory box system, these Scriptures, hymns, poems, and folk-songs remain fresh in my mind. These are followed by a list of what I hope to learn next; I may add to it over the next few weeks.
Note that the following is the result of almost three years of gentle concentration and continuous review. The aim for me is not quantity, but quality of content and also quality of memorization. I do not give myself any pressure to memorize anything within a given time. When I am learning a new piece, I read the entire passage once or twice daily, with some focused repetition of the phrase next to be learned. (I later learned that this is a technique recommended and used by educator Charlotte Mason.) This slower pace is gentle but strong, and ensures that what I learn I truly learn and store in a deeper memory than anything I have memorized by tricks of association or by frequent repetition in a short time. Even when I take a break from my memory-box for a month or longer, I know every piece next time I review it.
From my personal journal: “I am so thankful for the slowness with which I can take my days, fingering each pearl as I thread it on the string. For weeks now I have been reading Psalm 139 in order to memorize it. ‘Though I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.’ It has been taking me much longer than usual to learn it... But I am in no hurry. I wondered briefly whether Satan was hindering me, but I doubt he is or that he would gain any great point.”
I read and reread and reread that passage for over a month. I dwelt long on the words, and found they were the perfect ministry for stresses I underwent during that time. One day I suddenly found I knew the psalm by heart. Then I moved to the next passage.
REVIEWING
Scripture
Catechism
•Questions 1-8 in Westminister Shorter Catechism
Hymns
•“Be Present at Our Table, Lord”
•“Come Thou, Almighty King”
•“Holy, Holy, Holy”
•“Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee”
•“Joy to the World”
•“The Lord’s My Shepherd”
•“To God Be the Glory”
Poetry
•“Addressed to a Young Lady” (William Cowper)
•“Block City” (Robert Lewis Stevenson)
•“The Elixer” (George Herbert)
•“A Good Play” (Robert Lewis Stevenson)
•“The Philosopher’s Garden” (John Oxenham)
•“Prologue” from Evangeline (Henry Wadsowrth Longfellow)
•“The Rhodora” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
•“The Swing” (Robert Lewis Stevenson)
•“To a Waterfowl” (William Cullen Bryant)
•“To the Skylark” (William Wordsworth)
•“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” (Walter Whitman)
•“Work” (Henry Van Dyke)
Folk Song
•“Sweet and Low”
Miscellaneous
•Ten Essential Amino Acids
•Ten Non-Essential Amino Acids
•“The quality of mercy is not strain’d...” (The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare)
LEARNING
Scripture
Hymn
•“Brethren, We Have Met to Worship”
Poetry
•“The Cloud” (Percy Bysshe Shelley)
•“Pirate Story” (Robert Lewis Stevenson)
TO LEARN
Scripture
Catechism
•questions from the Westminister Shorter Catechism
Hymns
•“Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah”
•“The man that hath perfect blessedness”
Poetry
•“The Bells” (Edgar Allen Poe)
•“The Little Land” (Robert Lewis Stevenson)
•“To a Snowflake” (Francis Thompson)
•“Sonnet 116” (William Shakespeare)
•“The Song of the Chattahoochee” (Sidney Lanier)
•poems by Charles and Mary Lamb
Folk Song
Miscellaneous
•“St. Crispin’s Day Speech” (Henry V, William Shakespeare)
•monarchs of England
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RACHEL said...
I love your idea of a memory box; it’s perfect! I’ve been trying to memorize more verses these past few months. And I love the feeling of accomplishment when I remember some more of our wonderful directions from God. :-) I was wondering if you had to work up to passages when memorizing Scripture? Or were you able to just start memorizing longer portions of Scripture? By the way, I love your handwriting, and the pictures of the memory box are a great example. :-)
Friday, January 20, 2012 04:04 PM
HANDMAIDEN said...
When I started methodically memorizing Scripture, I did start with the longer passages. As I wrote in a previous post about my memory box: “It is better to learn entire portions of Scripture rather tan to squirrel away snippets. There is a richness of context and meaning which we lose when we only memorize a verse or two. Contrary to what me be your first impression, I have found it easier to remember an entire succession of thought, rather than many disjointed fragments.”
So, I wouldn’t say that I’ve had to “work up” to learning longer passages. It’s actually been easier for me to learn and especially to remember the passages, because each phrase suggests or prompts the next. It’s a complete line of thought.
I’m so glad this post was a help to you! I came across the idea of a memory box on the Simply Charlotte Mason website.
Friday, January 20, 2012 05:58 PM
Friday, January 13, 2012