We egalitarian bookworms rock so hard that we beat the NYTBR to the punch. Nice. Still, despite being behind the times, it's a funny essay, and worth a read.
A few years ago, I started learning poetry by heart on a daily basis. I’ve now memorized about a hundred poems, some of them quite long — more than 2,000 lines in all, not including limericks and Bob Dylan lyrics. I recite them to myself while jogging along the Hudson River, quite loudly if no other joggers are within earshot. I do the same, but more quietly, while walking around Manhattan on errands — just another guy on an invisible cellphone.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
This Blog Is So Zeitgeisty
Just as we have a long and lively discussion of which poems we memorize and which we want to memorize, some hot shot (actually, humor writer Jim Holt :0)) for the New York Times Book Review writes a big old essay about the value of memorizing poetry. He even mentions some of the same treasured verses that we do. Jim sez:
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Always such a pleasure to realize you've tapped into the Zeitgeist, isn't it? Amazing how often it happens!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, you do rock! I'm quite taken with this idea. How about you wait six months, then ask your question about memorized poems again? I'll get started right away. Oh, and I would have thought that knowing the lyrics to Subterranean Homesick Blues would count for something!
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