Renaissance OF Attention IN POETRY MEMORISATION
Given these advantages, it’s no wonder interest in writing memorisation is reviving worldwide. Youth have become more popular with writing reading events like Poetry Out Loud in the USA and Poetry by Heart in the UK.
In Singapore, I collaborated with a group of volunteers to organize the first National Poetry Recitation Opposition as part of the monthly Poetry Festival Singapore, a literary festival that promotes literature in all of our nation’s languages.
Over 120 participants took part in workshops on writing memorisation at the National Library before the competition, many of whom shared how greatly moved they were by the lyrics.
The Path No Taken, a father’s account of how his brother and his son learned from it. Another young woman discovered her new abilities, surprising herself with her recitation of Lee Tzu Pheng’s Singapore River.
These activities illustrate how memorised writing flames conversations, inspires trust and fosters personal connections.
REIGNITING POETRY’S ORAL ROOTS
At the contest finals, participants showcased their enthusiasm for literature, performing their favorite poems aloud with assurance.
Many people emailed me about how poetry has come to mean something to them. One contender claimed that meditating on Psalm 23 helps him focus while taking difficult exams. Another expressed how Maya Angelou’s film Phenomenal Woman supports her female identity and helps her get her voice.
Promoting writing in schools and spreading poetry-related awareness via social media may increase poetry appreciation. Students are exposed to Singapore’s rich cultural heritage in addition to bilingual shows like those at the Poetry Festival Singapore.
In the end, understanding what it means to get people implies something more profound than simply learning poetry by heart.