Jim Holt discusses why learning things by rote is still a good idea – even in the age of smartphones and Google.

Essay – The Case for Memorizing Poetry – NYTimes.com

The grandest claim for memorizing poetry is made by Clive James, himself a formidable repository of memorized verse. In his book “Cultural Amnesia,” James declares that “the future of the humanities as a common possession depends on the restoration of a simple, single ideal: getting poetry by heart.” A noble sentiment. I just wish that James had given us some reason for thinking it was true.