1. Before attempting to memorize any selections of Prose or Poetry,
never fail _first to read it carefully_ to ascertain what it is all
about, to learn its aim and _mode of development_ and its
_peculiarities_, and not least of all, to look up and note down in
writing the _meaning of unfamiliar_ words.
2. In this poem the average reader might have to consult the dictionary
for the precise meaning of "Crystalline" [clear, unalloyed], "Runic"
[old-fashioned, mystical], "Tintinnabulation" [bell-ringing], "Monody"
[a monotonous sound], "Ghouls" [imaginary evil beings supposed to prey
upon human bodies], and "Paean" [a song of triumph]. The pupil should
understand that except in the rare cases where mere sound helps us, we
learn wholly through the _meaning_ of the words and their _relations_
between the meanings, and therefore if he fails to know the import of
any word or words in a selection, he cannot receive the full benefit of
the methods taught in this System.
3. The reader finds that there are four stanzas in this poem, each
dealing with a different kind of bell, _viz._: Silver, Golden, Brazen
and Iron bells.
4. It is always best to fix in memory the order of paragraphs or of
stanzas the moment the opportunity occurs for that purpose, and here,
before attempting to memorise the stanzas themselves, let the order of
them be fixed.
5. The order of the bells is first "silver," second "golden," third
"brazen," and fourth "iron." How establish this order in mind? Silver
and gold are the precious metals used for coins. They occur here in the
order of their value, "silver" being first and the cheaper, and "gold"
the second and the most valuable of all. Next we have "brazen," which
resembles "gold" in colour, and fourth and last we have "iron," the
cheapest of the four--silver, gold, brass and iron. If this analysis of
the order of the subject-matter of the stanzas is retained, the student
is ready to take account of other things which his first perusal of the
poem has taught him.
6. Before doing so, however, let us notice a method of the old
Mnemonics, which is still taught and which should never be resorted to.
It is their story-telling method. A story or narrative is invented for
the purpose of helping the student, as it is claimed, to memorise it. In
this poem we find there are four stanzas, each occupied with a different
kind of bell. To help remember that the order of the bells is silver,
gold, brass and iron, the old Mnemonics advises us to invent a
story--the following will answer: A couple of lovers once took a
sleigh-ride, the horses carrying _silver_ bells. After a time they
marry, when wedding or _golden_ bells are used. Later on their house is
on fire, when alarm or _brazen_ bells are brought into requisition, and
last of all, one of the couple dies, when the _iron_ bells were tolled.
Whilst such a method is a novelty to the student, he might tolerate it
as such, but as a memory-aid it is always unreliable, since it is
something _in addition_ to the matter to be remembered and forming no
part of it, the invented story, if remembered at all, is apt to be
recalled as an integral part of the selection itself.
7. In this first perusal the reader has noticed that there is a _certain
uniformity of construction_ in the first line of each stanza, as in the
first stanza we have: "Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells;"
in the second, "Hear the mellow wedding bells--golden bells;" in the
third, "Hear the loud alarum bells--brazen bells;" and in the fourth and
last, "Hear the tolling of the bells--iron bells."
8. The reader has also observed that the second line in each stanza
contains a reflection in the form of an exclamation on the function or
result of the uses of the bells spoken of, as in the second line of the
first stanza we see: "What a world of merriment their melody foretells;"
in the second stanza the second line gives us, "What a world of
happiness their harmony foretells;" the second line of the third stanza
reads as follows: "What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells;"
and in the fourth stanza the second line runs thus: "What a world of
solemn thought their monody compels."
9. Other points of resemblance [In.], or of unlikeness [Ex.], were
noticed in the reader's first perusal of this poem, and these, as well
as those already remarked upon, will greatly facilitate his learning the
exact language of each stanza.
10. Now comes the _test_. It is often said that habit is "second"
nature. The Duke of Wellington more truly said: "Habit is _ten times_
nature." The reader early acquired the habit of learning prose and
poetry by the _rote_ method--the method of repeating the sentences over
and over again almost endlessly till ear or eye retains the exact
language.
Now, if the reader has gained a _clear conception_ of the
Analytic-Synthetic and Interrogative Analysis methods, he is sure to be
convinced of their undoubted superiority to the _rote_ method. And if he
must needs learn Poe's "Bells" before to-morrow night, he would probably
spend most of the intervening time in trying to learn it by the
discredited _rote_ method, and most likely fail in the attempt, while he
is satisfied in theory that he could memorise it by one of my methods in
three hours, or in half of that time. The difficulty in his case is to
induce him to exert his willpower long enough to practise my methods in
learning not a few detached sentences, but an entire poem of 50 or 200
lines; but if he does this in one instance, he effectually breaks down
the old bad habit of endless unassimilating repetition and introduces a
good habit instead. He will then learn Poe's "Bells" by my methods in
one-tenth, if not one-fiftieth, part of the time it would take him to do
it by the _rote_ method.
11. I here produce the poem in the hope that every one who studies my
System will learn it by the Analytic-Synthetic method, and when he has
learned the first stanza he should then glance at my Analysis of it
which follows the poem and compare his work with mine. Let him then
learn the rest of the poem--and thereafter, as a genuine exercise of
his _reviving_ power and as a training in attention, let him recall it
as often as once a week for as many weeks as his desire for improvement
continues, or until the recital of it becomes merely automatic.