Friendship Quote by William Deresiewicz
““A friend who teaches at a top university once asked her class to memorize thirty lines of the eighteenth-century poet Alexander Pope. Every single kid got every single line correct, down to the punctuation marks. Seeing them write out the exercise in class, she said, was a thing of wonder, like watching Thoroughbreds circle a track.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Art of Being a Brilliant Student, 2015
Memorizing poetry perfectly showcases disciplined learning but may lack deeper engagement with meaning.
In simple terms: Exact recall shows discipline.
Key Takeaway
Balance memorization with comprehension.
Themes
education
memory
literature
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- classroom exercises
- study techniques
- literary appreciation
Key Concepts
cognitive skill
learning methods
Questions to Reflect On
- Why value memorization?
- How to foster deeper insight?
A Different Perspective
Rote memorization can stifle critical thinking.
![“A mere index hunter, who held the eel of science by the tail. Index-hunter is a term used mockingly, meaning one who acquires superficial knowledge merely by consulting indexes. The '[holding] the eel of science by the tail' allusion was used in 1728 by Alexander Pope (q.v.).” quote by Tobias Smollett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6e1/tobias-smollett-18143_acquire_a-mere-index-hunter-who-held-the-eel-of_2385125.jpg)
![“[Jane] Austen was not a novelist for nothing: she knew that our stories are what make us human, and that listening to someone else's stories -- entering into their feelings, validating their experiences -- is the highest way of acknowledging their humanity, the sweetest form of usefulness.” quote by William Deresiewicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2bb/william-deresiewicz-15471_austen_jane-austen-was-not-a-novelist-for-nothi_62623.jpg)
