Have you considered learning a poem by heart? While the practice of poetry memorisation—described as a “lost art” by Salman Rushdie—may seem antiquated in our digital age, it offers profound cognitive and emotional benefits. A notable example is US President Joe Biden, who overcame a childhood stutter by
memorising poetry, including lines from poets like W.B. Yeats and Seamus Heaney, illustrating how this age-old technique has shaped his communication skills and personal identity. As the literary critic Harold Bloom once said, “If you possess a poem by memory, it begins to possess you.” What happens when we allow poetry to super-charge our minds?
Research supports several key benefits of poetry memorisation. Firstly, memorisation promotes cognitive stimulation, fostering a deeper connection with language, rhythm, and imagery, allowing learners to internalise the nuances of poetic diction. This sense of ownership not only enhances creativity but also engages neural pathways associated with language processing, improving verbal fluency and communication skills.
Furthermore, memorised poetry remains accessible at all times, even in challenging circumstances. Catherine Robson (NYU) observes, “When everything else has been taken from you, a memorized poem still remains.” This resilience is exemplified by Nelson Mandela, who drew strength from W.E. Henley’s poem “Invictus” during his long imprisonment, highlighting the therapeutic power of poetry in difficult times.
In addition, poetry can speak directly to readers’ hearts, offering clarity during moments when feeling anxious or overwhelmed, or insight when seeking direction and a deeper sense of meaning. Professor Edwin Thumboo from the National University of Singapore comments on the value of poetry that “the words read us, set us thinking and thus expand our understanding of life experiences in rich, powerful,
apt and memorable language”. As readers grow and mature, their reflections on poems also deepen—poetry by heart signals its own potential to sustain, inspire, and even transform readers.
Despite its benefits, the pedagogical potential of learning poetry by heart remains underexplored in contemporary settings. This gap explained why I conducted a qualitative study on the inaugural National Poetry Recitation Competition, conducted as part of the annual Poetry Festival Singapore, a national literary event held annually since 2015 in Singapore. As part of this research, I interviewed adolescent learners to learn about their motivations for learning their favourite poems by heart. Students’ experiences attested to Judith Langer’s concept of “envisionment-building”, which emphasises the importance of authentic, lifelong engagement with texts to foster deeper understanding and emotional growth.
By exploring time-tested practices of memorisation, students can develop a deeper engagement with poetry and expand their understanding of themselves, in ways that are embodied, authentic, and beyond the merely analytical. In an era in which traditional practices that are regarded as ‘old-fashioned’ are often overlooked, learning poetry by heart offers new potential to illuminate paths toward educational enrichment, personal and collective healing, and enhanced joy for learning.
Educator and PhD candidate at the English Language and Literature Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
His doctoral research explores how memorisation of poetry contributes to envisionment-building in the English/Literature classroom, and how Literature teaching can be enhanced by the science of learning.