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Here are four lines to the stanza: let the pupil imagine he sees by the tower, on the left side, a man reading a will, and by turns gazing intently on a goodly mansion in the skies, and stretching forth his hands (bidding farewell) to a mourning female on the right side of the symbol, who is wiping her weeping eyes. Thus the whole will be strongly imprinted on the memory.
It must be acknowledged that descriptive poetry, where the Images are striking and various, is the easiest to be remembered. Or place as many Images as there are in a line in each corner, (supposing there are four; if five, one in the middle,) and multiplying the symbol, so as if four lines, four symbols, and hang the images of every line upon the symbol, taking care of their association. I have known a boy of twelve years of age repeat one hundred and fifty lines in this way; tell you in what line any word named (that had a meaning or image attached to it) might be found; or inform you what any line contained—the very word or words.
It will be found that the method of getting Poetry by heart by this means is particularly easy and delightful; and, laying aside measure, we proceed in the same way in Prose composition.
