social change through
the memorisation of poetry
The Memory Trust promote and certify the memorisation of poetry.
Learning poetry by heart can unlock the talents of every individual and promote social cohesion and inclusion. Learning the verse of the great poets of the past has been regarded as the best brain training exercise for thousands of years. A repertoire of poetry committed to memory is the perfect antidote to the information overload of the internet age. It becomes a kind of mp3 player inserted in the brain. At the speed of thought, we can summon a word, a phrase, a line or an entire poem and this does so much to enrich our daily discourse. There is such a strong, innate and universal desire to express ourselves more colourfully and there is no better way in which to meet this.
By memorising poetry we improve self-discipline, memory, confidence, vocabulary and articulation. But it is more than a mere brain-training exercise; it gives us a sense of well-being.
We are no longer a memorising culture and a culture which loses its memory, loses its soul. The Memory Trust’s mission is to find innovative and radical ways to get us all to reconnect with the world’s richest poetic heritage and by so doing, bring about powerful social change. We do this by certifying (awarding) and promoting (rewarding).