Monday, September 24, 2012

The Art Of Memory





It is just a matter of time until I type a post and someone will leave me a comment and say, "You know, you did a post saying this exact thing on ...(whatever date).   What I mean is...I can't remember things and I have had this problem even as a child.  Of course, now that I am...ahem, getting on in years shall we say, I think that the memory thing is getting even worse. 
For example, in the photos above, have I shown you the lighthouse at Beachy Head?  I took this photo on one of those days in June and it was a very cool rainy day and as you can see, there wasn't one other person around.  Leaving Richard in the Beachy Head Pub with his friends, I told him that I simply had to go outside and take some photos.  The nice chaplains were looking at me very carefully but when they saw me hook my arm around the railing before I snapped these photos, I think that made them breathe easier and know that this was one gal who was planning on sticking around!  I don't mean to make light of it, Beachy Head is one of the top suicide spots in the country.  There are also numbers posted for suicide prevention.  It is a sad fact that this is a place where people end their lives.
There, can you see the pier in the distance? We could walk down there from here, but we will wait for better weather, don't you think?
 
All my life I have relied on little rhymes and songs to help me remember things and I know that this is called a mnemonic device.  I prefer to think of this as "the art of memory".
 
You may read about it here. It's a bit too complicated for me.   Just give me something that rhymes, and it will be in my brain forever, that's all I know.
 
 
Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November.
All the rest have thirty-one,
Excepting February alone,
And that has twenty-eight days clear,
And twenty-nine in each leap year.

Of course, everyone knows that rhyme. (And if you know a child who does NOT know it, then what are you waiting for, teach it to him! And there are some adults that could learn it too.)
Here is the interesting thing to me, that rhyme is from the 15th century! And that version is like this...
 
Thirtey days has November,
Aprile, June, and September:
Of twyecescore-eightt is but eine,
And all the remnante be thrycescore-eine.
O´course Leap yare comes an´pynes,
Ev'rie foure yares, gote it ryghth.
An´twyecescore-eight is but twyecescore-nyne.

The literal translation of this medieval version would be:
Thirty days has November,
April, June, and September:
Of twenty-eight is but one,
And all the remnant is thirty-one.
Of course Leap year comes and stays,
Every four years got it right,
And twenty-eight is but twenty-nine.

Earthbound is a song by Rodney Crowell that is several years old now but I think it fits this post quite nicely.  

36 comments:

  1. I know the poem, but I'm afraid I'm so forgetful that I can't remember all the words. As for forgetting what I've posted, I've posted over 1550 posts now so it's getting increasingly difficult to remember what I've already said.

    How sad to think of these places haunted by others who may have taken their lives there. Sigh... sad... And yet, it's such a beautiful place.

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    1. Wow, over 1550 posts, that is a lot of writing. Good for you!
      Yes, Beachy Head is so beautiful and it is a shame that it is more well known as a suicide spot more than anything.

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  2. Well, I am one of those adults who don't know the poem - but I have a very good excuse, being German; we were not taught this one, but had our own poems to learn at school :-)
    You know what a memnonic device, such as a rhyme, designed to help you memorize something, is called in German? Eselsbrücke, which literally means donkey's bridge. Children that seemed to be a bit more stupid than others were often called "donkey" (very unfairly, I know), and the "donkey's bridge" was supposed to help them cross the gap between not knowing and knowing... People make their own donkey's bridges all the time, for instance, I have an easy one to remember the PIN for my bank card :-)

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    1. So, you have a donkey's bridge to remember your PIN? Okay then, what is it? Ha! JUST KIDDING!
      I've never heard of that word before, so I thank you for telling me. Perhaps in a few years, I will be typing in German to you! Nicht wahr?
      "Cross the gap between not knowing and knowing", that should be emblazoned upon the front of every schoolroom and the goal for every teacher! I love your way with words, Meike!

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  3. Tried out months of the year rhyme with my class of 8 year olds. Took quite a few repeats but got there in the end.

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    1. Oh good, and now they will know the days of each month, and they won't have to ask. It surprises me to know that many adults cannot remember something so simple, especially since there is a rhyme to help them.

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  4. Kay, I loved the photos. When I was young I made up a long sentence with each of the presidents initials.That is how I remember where they fell in line. Smiles, Susie

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    1. Hey Susie,
      Thanks! And I really like the idea of the long sentence to remember the Presidents. If you can remember it, please let me know! :-)

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  5. I remember that Monty Python had a routine about some woman jumping off Beachy Head. Part of a game show skit, I believe.

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    1. Beachy Head is very well known in Britain as a suicide spot.
      There was an ad for Monty Python on PBS that showed them at their absolute silliest and the voiceover said, "If your girlfriend laughs at this, MARRY HER!"

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  6. I must admit to *still* saying that rhyme to myself now and then lol.. That landscape is awe-inspiring; I feel so sad for those who go there in such despair, no longer caring about the beauty around them.

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    1. Yes, I see nothing wrong with using that rhyme, it has been in use for centuries!
      The land is incredibly beautiful and looking out over the vastness of the sea in front of you, it is truly awe-inspiring.

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  7. I love the older version, thanks for sharing.

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    1. Glad you liked it too. These days, I love to hear about something that has been around longer than me!

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  8. Those rhymes were part of my Irish childhood too. I still repeat the first one in my mind when I am trying to remember how many days are in a month. I do love the title of this post - "The Art of Memory", because fine tuning memory is truly an art.

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    1. Thanks, Mairead! I was pleased to read about "The Art Of Memory". Can you tell that I love the way that certain words sound connected with each other, there is a certain rhythm to words, that I appreciate and always look for and notice.

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  9. You stayed in a lovely place, and it's okay to repeat stuff, i like hearing or seeing it again (my memory could use some reminding, anyway).

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    1. Oh good, I am glad you don't mind if I repeat myself.
      I do, all the time and I don't even know it!
      Eastbourne was lovely, even after a heavy rain!

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  10. I can't for the life of me remember that poem, so I rely on a method from either Mr. Rogers or the original Mickey Mouse Club (can't remember which - there's irony for you). It involves making a fist and counting off the months on your four knuckles. The "knuckle" months have 31 days, and the rest have 30 (except of course February). When you get to July and the last knuckle, you start over on the first knuckle - which accounts for August also having 31 days.

    Lovely photos!

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    1. Hey Sue!
      Oh dear, I have read of the knuckles trick, but that seems much more difficult to me! Give me a rhyme and I will remember every time! HA HA.
      ANd I took these photos! You can tell, because mine are almost always crooked!

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  11. I guess if I was going to do myself in that would be a lovely place to do it....great scenery to look at for the last time on earth! (but that's because I have a fear of having a heart attach while going to the bathroom...not a pretty last thing to see!) I was taught that poem in school and never forgot it...especially since my birthday is Feb. 28th..no reminder needed about that short month!

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    1. It truly is a lovely spot, it is just so hard for those who see them and try to stop them, I think.
      At least your birthday isn't Feb. 29th! That would be confusing.

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    1. Don't worry! Even the chaplains could see how tightly I was holding on to the railing from a pretty good distance away. I only saw one other person up there, we had just seen a very heavy rain.

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  13. Growing up my father, a linguistics professor, would recited nonsensical poems to us as children. One of his favorites:

    Thirty days has Septober
    April, June, and no wonder
    All the rest have peanut butter,
    Except grandma, and she rides a bicycle.

    Can I just say, there are some things that will forever be trapped in my head. This is one of them.

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    1. Oh, this is so funny! It sounds like something Roald Dahl could have written.
      Thank you so muchf or sharing it.
      And I know just what you mean about things being trapped in your head. For me, it is every single song from the 60's TV shows, this does me no good in life, I might add.

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  14. My memory works the same way as yours, and always has.

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    1. Oh good, and you seem to be getting along okay.
      That makes me feel a bit better!
      Have you ever seen the movie "50 First Dates"? I am afraid that very much of that really hit home with me!

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  15. aha kay my memory lacks
    sometimes very basic facts
    i make things up just in case
    i end up with an eggy face.

    have i posted pictures more than once?
    absolutely, and i'm no dunce.
    good that your blog is lovely to read
    so memory, swemmory, there's no need

    :^)

    love
    kj

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    1. Oh, if only I had a mind that could remember.
      I would be happy from January to December.
      Alas, this is not to be,
      You will just have to put up with me!

      A writer like you, I am not.
      No, not one little jot!

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  16. You are all so funny! I feel I have now entered a Dr. Seuss book!

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    1. Wow, I love that compliment. You must know that Dr. Seuss is a BIG favorite of mine. I know "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" by HEART!

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  17. wow, such an amazing view, lovely photos, its so sad that a place so beautiful has such a sad connection or maybe not.If someone is so driven to end their lives at least its a beautiful site for ones eye last look,

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    1. Ones eye last look, that is a nice thought. Thank you so much for your comment, Laurie. I don't feel any sadness there, only amazement at such beauty.

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  18. Oh yes...I have to say that rhyme every single time I'm trying to remember how many days are in a month. It's good to know I'm not alone. :-)

    What lovely photos, Kay! I'm so glad you got to spend time in such a beautiful place. I think it's wonderful that they have Chaplains there ready to counsel and comfort the broken-hearted.

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    1. Dear Beth,
      I hope that I did not give the dear Chaplains any worry with my quick march to get my few photos, but I really had to be quick to get these snaps since it was such a rainy day. They do such important work and sometimes right at the cliff's edge. If you are interested, their link is here at: http://www.bhct.org.uk/wp/

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