On April 28, 2025, the New York Times launched a week-long poetry memorization challenge using Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poem “Recuerdo.” Writers A.O. Scott and Aliza Aufrichtig explain that memorization can be a pleasurable experience rather than drudgery, noting how in the past poetry recitation was valued and commonly practiced in classrooms. But this tradition has largely disappeared. The Times’ poetry memorization challenge includes an interactive quiz that helps readers memorize the poem step by step, starting with learning the first two lines. The technique includes reading the full poem three times and they offer three video readings by Ada Limón (U.S. Poet Laureate), Ina Garten (cook and author), and Ethan Hawke (actor and author) in order to guide the participants through this 1919 poem about a night spent riding the Staten Island Ferry.
The Times article highlights the enduring value of memorization, especially when applied to something meaningful such as poetry. The technique of using an interactive quiz set up like a game makes memorizing poetry both accessible and rewarding. It transforms what might seem like a tedious task into an engaging experience.
This approach mirrors what we do at BarTaker for bar exam applicants. Memorization of black letter law is essential for passing the bar, but rather than presenting it as a burdensome requirement, BarTaker guides users through similar interactive quizzes that facilitate deep learning of legal rules. Through our carefully designed approach, we reframe memorization not as a rote exercise but as an engaging and meaningful activity that builds lasting knowledge.
The techniques of memorization have remained fundamentally the same for centuries, from Roman times to the present day. We review information, then attempt to recall it using cues—like filling in missing words in a sentence. This engages us in active learning, imprinting the information in our memory cells. When done effectively, this process creates lasting retention.
At BarTaker, our goal is for you to memorize black letter law not just for exam day, but for years afterward—ensuring the knowledge remains accessible when you’re writing a legal brief, conducting a consultation, or appearing before a judge. What you learn becomes a permanent professional asset, serving you first as a bar applicant and throughout your career as an attorney.