Assimilative Memory Part 11

1. Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells-- 2. What a world of merriment their melody foretells!

The third line runs thus: "How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the icy air of night." Melody means "a succession of agreeable musical sounds."

It is a general term--"tinkle, tinkle, tinkle," means a species of musical sounds, the sounds of the bells. Thus we see that these two lines bear towards each other the relation of genus and species. This relation carefully noticed will tend to hold the lines together. Let us now apply our Method: 1. They tinkle. 2. They tinkle _in the night_. 3.

_How_ they tinkle in the night. 4. How they tinkle, _tinkle_ in the night. 5. How they tinkle, tinkle, _tinkle_ in the night. 6. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, in the _air of_ night. 7. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the _icy_ air of night. Now let us recall all the lines together, thus:

1. Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells-- 2. What a world of merriment their melody foretells!

3. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the icy air of night!

The fourth line being very short had better be memorised in connection with the fifth line, and in the expression of the a.n.a.lysis, we can print the first word of the fifth line with a capital letter. The two lines are:

4. While the stars that oversprinkle 5. All the heavens, seem to twinkle with a crystalline delight.

Before proceeding we may notice "night" of the third line is directly connected with "stars" of the fourth line by Concurrence. This observed relation will tend to cement the lines together. Using our Method we say: 1. Stars oversprinkle. 2. _While the_ stars oversprinkle. 3. While the stars oversprinkle _the heavens_. 4. While the stars oversprinkle _All the heavens_. 5. While the stars _that_ oversprinkle All the heavens. 6. While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens _seem to twinkle_. 7. While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens seem to twinkle _with delight_. 8. While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens seem to twinkle with a _crystalline_ delight. So far we have learned the following lines:

1. Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells-- 2. What a world of merriment their melody foretells!

3. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the icy air of night!

4. While the stars that oversprinkle 5. All the heavens, seem to twinkle with a crystalline delight.

The _sixth_ line is in these words: "Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme." We observe that as "time" is here repeated three times, so "tinkle" was repeated three times in the third line. We must have observed, too, that it is "stars" of the fourth line that are said to "twinkle" in the fifth line. The two lines are as closely connected as grammatical construction and the expression of thought could make them.

And the sixth line is an obvious continuation of the description.

a.n.a.lytically we say: 1. Keeping time in a rhyme. 2. Keeping time, _time_, in a rhyme. 3. Keeping time, time, _time_ in a rhyme. 4. Keeping time, time, time in a _sort_ of rhyme. 5. Keeping time, time, time in a sort of _Runic_ rhyme.

Let us now recall the six lines together.

1. Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells-- 2. What a world of merriment their melody foretells!

3. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the icy air of night!

4. While the stars that oversprinkle 5. All the heavens, seem to twinkle with a crystalline delight; 6. Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme.

The seventh line is the continuation of the sixth. Keeping time to what?

"To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells." 1. The tintinnabulation wells. 2. The tintinnabulation _that_ wells. 3. The tintinnabulation that _musically_ wells. 4. The tintinnabulation that _so_ musically wells. 5. _To_ the tintinnabulation that so musically wells. Wells from what? From the bells, bells--occurring altogether six times more. This makes the eighth line. But some pupils say at once, "I can never be sure in reciting the line to recall bells only seven times, no more or less." These pupils will admit that they can be sure to say bells _four_ times, as bells, bells, bells, bells. Then, of course, they can say bells _three_ times more, making seven times altogether. Here, then, we have the seventh and eighth lines, as follows:

7. To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells 8. From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells--

The ninth line is--"From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells."

In the eighth line we have "bells" seven times repeated in all--bells being taken in their utmost generality, viz., _musical_ action. But in the ninth or last line we have the very specific action of the bells, to wit: "From the _jingling_ and the _tinkling_ of the bells." We can make a short a.n.a.lysis, which is always better than unthinking repet.i.tion, as: 1. From the bells. 2. From the _jingling_ of the bells. 3. From the jingling _and the tinkling_ of the bells. The seventh, eighth, and ninth lines are as follows:

7. To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells 8. From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells-- 9. From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

Having already learned the first six lines, we have but to preface these last three by the previous six, and we have the first stanza as follows:--

1. Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells-- 2. What a world of merriment their melody foretells!

3. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the icy air of night!

4. While the stars that oversprinkle 5. All the heavens, seem to twinkle with a crystalline delight; 6. Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme, 7. To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells 8. From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells-- 9. From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

In a similar manner, the pupil can memorise the three remaining stanzas.

Having heretofore learned the order of the four different kinds of bells, and having dealt with the first or "silver" bells, we know that the next or second stanza is concerned with the "golden" bells.

Similarly, when we finish the second stanza, we know that the third stanza deals with the "brazen" bells, and the last with the "iron"

bells.

No further hints need be offered except perhaps in regard to the last ten lines of the last stanza.

Notice the coincidences, the resemblances, or Inclusions, the Exclusions, and the Concurrences. "Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme," occurs three times--but on the third appearance of that phrase, there is a change which must be observed; for it bears this form: "Keeping time, time, time, _as he knells, knells, knells, in a happy_ Runic rhyme." But the main difficulty with most students seems to be to remember _the number of times_ the word "bells" is repeated in the different lines. We must keep to the text and not resort to any foreign matter to help the feeble memory. The words _paean_, _throbbing_, _sobbing_, _rolling_ and _tolling_ occur in the lines where the "bells"

are mentioned (except in that next to the last line, where "bells"

occurs three times, and there is no other word in that line), and in the last line "bells" is found once, and the words "moaning" and "groaning"

appear. Memorise these seven words by a.n.a.lysis, to wit: paean, throbbing, sobbing, rolling, tolling, moaning and groaning. Thus _paean_--a song of triumph--might cause heart _throbbing_, an inward act accompanied in the present instance by _sobbing_, and this outward manifestation of grief would be intensified by the _rolling_ of the bells and their _tolling_.

_Moaning_ and _groaning_ are figurative expressions for the moaning and groaning of the mourners.

Now the figures 2, 4, 1, 4, 8, 1 (easily learned by a.n.a.lysis as 2, 4, 1 and 4, 8, 1, or 2, 4 with 1 following, and 4, 8, with 1 following, or 2, 4 with 1 following, and [double 2, 4] 4, 8 and 1 following) give the _number of times_ the word "bells" occurs in connection with the words just learned. Opposite the line where _tolling_ occurs we have marked 8, since "bells" occurs in that line five times and three times in the next line, where no other word is found.

Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme, 2. To the _paean_ of the bells--of the bells; Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme, 4. To the _throbbing_ of the bells, of the bells, bells, bells, 1. To the _sobbing_ of the bells; keeping time, time, time, As he knells, knells, knells, in a happy Runic rhyme, 4. To the _rolling_ of the bells, of the bells, bells, bells, 8. To the _tolling_ of the bells, of the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells; 1. To the _moaning_ and the _groaning_ of the bells.

Carrying these suggestions to the text, they help fix the exact number of times the word "bells" occurs in each line. There are other legitimate ways to a.s.sist a poor memory to master these lines, but whatever is done let no one ever think of resorting to the unthoughtive, brainless process of endless repet.i.tion.

Poe's "Bells," being a difficult selection to learn, furnishes, as all difficult selections do, numerous opportunities for applying a.n.a.lysis to fix the lines in memory. Hence it should be _mastered_ and often recited by all who would learn to memorise poetry or prose, in, at the very least, _one-fifth_ of the time required by the old mind-wandering process of _rote_ learning.

a.n.a.lYTIC SUBSt.i.tUTIONS.

ANOTHER METHOD FOR REMEMBERING DATES AND FIGURES.

This lesson in figures is given for the benefit of those who have not yet mastered NUMERIC THINKING. The pupil will appreciate its practical value the moment he masters the key to it.

This is given in the next few pages, and it will be found to be easy of comprehension and interesting to a surprising degree.

The whole thing is in a nutsh.e.l.l. Numbers, as such, are abstractions and hard to be remembered. To make them hard to forget, we translate them into words or phrases. These are easily remembered and they always instantly _give back_ the figures they stand for.

We represent the figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0, by certain _consonants_; and then, as the vowels [a, e, i, o, u, and y, together with w] have _no numerical_ value a.s.signed to them, we turn dates or any numbers into translating _words_, which will always tell us precisely the figures the words stand for.

As this simple process enables us to remember any dates or numbers with _absolute certainty_, the pupil will be pleased to know that he can learn _how it is done_ by only _one thoughtful_ perusal.

The questions at the bottom of each page const.i.tute an invaluable aid to test the accuracy of his knowledge and the correctness of his inferences.

1. Is it possible to exaggerate the importance of this lesson?

2. When will the pupil appreciate its practical value?

3. Where is this key given?

4. Are numbers hard to remember?

5. How do we make them hard to forget?

6. By what are the figures represented?

7. What letters have no numerical value a.s.signed to them?

8. What do the questions at the bottom of each page const.i.tute?

The nought and the nine digits are _represented_ by the following _consonants_ when they are _sounded_ or _p.r.o.nounced_; viz., 0 (nought) by s, z, or c^soft as in cease, 1 by t, th, or d, 2 by n, 3 by m, 4 by r, 5 by l, 6 by sh, j, ch, or g^soft as in the first g of George, 7 g^hard as in Gorge, k, c^hard as in _c_ane, q, or ng, 8 by f or v, and 9 by b or p.