What are some good memorization techniques?

I want to memorize a poem. Can you help me? What are some good memorization techniques?

• Found a poem I LOVE, and just want to commit it to memory for my own personal enjoyment. Any ideas on how best to do it? It's Love by Kahlil Gibran if you're interested.

• Answer:

  Other folks have answered that you need to recite it a bunch of times, and that's true. But the way to memorize it is to sit down with it for about 30-60 minutes a day. If it's a short poem, 30 minutes will be plenty. Read the first line, or if it's a long line, then the first half of the line. Read it, and read it again. Put down the poem and say the line out loud. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Then go on to the next line and do the same thing. After doing the second line, go back and recite the first line without looking at the poem. It's essential that you do this out loud. If possible, shout it out loud. Whisper it. Pretend you're whispering saying it to your lover. Pretend you're saying it to your enemy. This is not a joke, it works!! Anyway, go on and do this with each line of the poem, and when you're finished each line, go back and recite all the earlier lines that you've just memorized. When you've done it with the whole poem, you should be able to recite most of it back without any mistakes. If the poem is longer than about 20 lines, you may have to take only the first half on the first day, the second half on the second day. Break it down whatever way works for you. Then recite what you've memorized 30 minutes after your session. Then recite it again an hour or two later. Recite it before you go to bed. Whenever you forget a word, look at the poem again to refresh your memory. If you do this for 5 days straight, 30 minutes a day plus regular recitations, I guarantee you'll have the poem memorized. After that, recite it at least once or twice a day. I did this when I was in a play and on stage almost the whole time for 90 minutes. It worked for me. I memorized my part in about two weeks. Reciting OUT LOUD is the key! The louder the better! Good luck!