I was listening recently to a thought-provoking podcast by Italian teacher Lucrezia Oddone, where she talked about the importance of HANDWRITING texts that you would like to memorise.
In the process of writing a passage by hand, she says, you are present and attuned in an unique way to each word that you write. Handwriting is a coordinated activity that stimulates your brain more deeply than would be possible through typing alone.
I am encouraged to hear this, since I have actually been keeping notebooks for a few years filled with passages of texts or entire poems that I would like to memorise.
Many years ago I heard that one of the best ways to improve your writing is to READ and MEMORISE lots of poetry.
Well, this has not been a difficult advice for me to follow, since I have always loved poetry!
I am sharing a photo of some of my homely copies of Emily Bronte’s ‘Plead for Me’ and Robert Frost’s ‘Design’ – both of which are short, pithy poems.
✍️ Do you like to write by hand? Have you ever considered using this technique to memorise more, whether English texts or texts in your mother tongue that are important to you? I would like very much to hear about your own experiences with pen and paper – you are welcome to share them with me, if you like.
