About the project
The initial project, at Cambridge University's Faculty of Education and funded by the Leverhulme Trust, was conducted by David Whitley and Debbie Pullinger, and ran from 2014–2017. It yielded a large and rich set of data, and culminated in an interdiscipinary conference at Homerton College
Debbie has continued to work on this investigation and is currently writing a book about memorising and performing poety, aimed at a general audience. She is still interested in hearing from anyone who has learned poetry, either as a child or as an adult. If you would like to tell me about your experience, do get in touch. She would be delighted to hear from you.
You can read the project report and our initial publications here.
Debbie has continued to work on this investigation and is currently writing a book about memorising and performing poety, aimed at a general audience. She is still interested in hearing from anyone who has learned poetry, either as a child or as an adult. If you would like to tell me about your experience, do get in touch. She would be delighted to hear from you.
You can read the project report and our initial publications here.
Background
Learning poetry by heart was once inscribed in the British school curriculum and woven into the fabric of cultural life, but has now declined to the point where knowing and being able recite poetry is no longer a cultural norm. At the same time, there is a distinct nostalgia for a time when people could readily summon up lines of verse, supplying poetic insight for any occasion and reinforcing a sense of shared cultural heritage. This dichotomy was reflected in our own earlier study (2011–12) of teachers’ perceptions of poetry teaching: some thought that memorising poetry was ‘old fashioned’ if not a real threat to enjoyment and engagement. But for those who had learned poetry themselves, it was evidently a cherished resource for teaching and for life. In 2012 memorisation and recitation were reinstated on the English primary curriculum in 2012. Whilst this could be viewed as a positive change, the ruling was not informed by evidence of best practice or what works – although such evidence was not really available at the time. Following the change, informal evidence indicated that the new stipulation was being met with reluctance in some classrooms, with some teachers using potentially counterproductive methods. At secondary level, reversion to ‘closed book’ examinations, with its implied obligation to memorise, was met with similar ambivalence.
Learning poetry by heart was once inscribed in the British school curriculum and woven into the fabric of cultural life, but has now declined to the point where knowing and being able recite poetry is no longer a cultural norm. At the same time, there is a distinct nostalgia for a time when people could readily summon up lines of verse, supplying poetic insight for any occasion and reinforcing a sense of shared cultural heritage. This dichotomy was reflected in our own earlier study (2011–12) of teachers’ perceptions of poetry teaching: some thought that memorising poetry was ‘old fashioned’ if not a real threat to enjoyment and engagement. But for those who had learned poetry themselves, it was evidently a cherished resource for teaching and for life. In 2012 memorisation and recitation were reinstated on the English primary curriculum in 2012. Whilst this could be viewed as a positive change, the ruling was not informed by evidence of best practice or what works – although such evidence was not really available at the time. Following the change, informal evidence indicated that the new stipulation was being met with reluctance in some classrooms, with some teachers using potentially counterproductive methods. At secondary level, reversion to ‘closed book’ examinations, with its implied obligation to memorise, was met with similar ambivalence.
Research questions
At the heart of this ambivalence are questions about the relationships between memorisation , engagement and understanding. The wider cultural context, meanwhile, is one in which there are signs of reviving interest in the practices of memorisation and recitation. Our central research questions were therefore:
At the heart of this ambivalence are questions about the relationships between memorisation , engagement and understanding. The wider cultural context, meanwhile, is one in which there are signs of reviving interest in the practices of memorisation and recitation. Our central research questions were therefore:
- What is the distinctive value of the memorised poem?
- What is the relationship between memorisation and understanding?
Methodology
Because memorisation of poetry is a complex phenomenon involving the interplay of social, cultural and psychological factors, our enquiry took an interdisciplinary perspective and multiple angles of approach. Designed as a nested, multiple-methods project, the investigation collected and analysed and integrated data collected through three strands: literary and documentary research, a large survey and face-to-face interviews.
Our nationwide online survey was launched on National Poetry Day in 2014. We asked people to name one poem they knew by heart, and to tell us about its significance for them. We also asked questions about when and why they learned poetry, as well as gathering salient personal details. We had just over 500 responses.
Forty in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted with selected survey participants and others.
Because memorisation of poetry is a complex phenomenon involving the interplay of social, cultural and psychological factors, our enquiry took an interdisciplinary perspective and multiple angles of approach. Designed as a nested, multiple-methods project, the investigation collected and analysed and integrated data collected through three strands: literary and documentary research, a large survey and face-to-face interviews.
Our nationwide online survey was launched on National Poetry Day in 2014. We asked people to name one poem they knew by heart, and to tell us about its significance for them. We also asked questions about when and why they learned poetry, as well as gathering salient personal details. We had just over 500 responses.
Forty in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted with selected survey participants and others.
Findings
The data we have collected is rich and substantial. Our analysis identified a number of central themes that will be of interest to leading figures in education, the arts and in therapeutic interventions, and we developed a network of relationships within these fields.
The project report and other publications are here.
The data we have collected is rich and substantial. Our analysis identified a number of central themes that will be of interest to leading figures in education, the arts and in therapeutic interventions, and we developed a network of relationships within these fields.
The project report and other publications are here.