Digits of Pi

Memorizing the digits of pi with the loci method has had a lasting impact. I still recall the numbers precisely in the locations I have placed them. I was even able to add three numbers in relatively little time. Should I need to, I could extend this pattern indefinitely with locations in the building:

  1. Bathroom – metal 1
  2. Recycling – cardboard 4
  3. Elevator door – crowbar 1
  4. Lobby sign – springing 5
  5. Lobby bench – sleeping 9
  6. Showroom welcome desk – shouting 2
  7. Showroom cash drawer – crinkled 6
  8. Supervisor cupboard – springing 5
  9. Hallway door handle – dangling 3
  10. Mezzanine keypad – popping out 5
  11. Moen no-charge parts – hiding 8
  12. Delta tub spouts – spinning 9
  13. Aluminum roof stacks – slotted in 7
  14. Grohe cartridges – wrinkled 9
  15. Shower rods – hiding 3
  16. American Standard cartridges – dancing 2
  17. Toto Washlet adapters – stretching 3
  18. Lunchroom fridge – shivering 8
  19. Lunchroom locker – springing 4
  20. Lunchroom television – pixilated 6
  21. American standard faucets – cutting 2
  22. Laundry faucets – smoky 6
  23. Flush valves – spinning 4

Poetry: Frost

Memorizing poetry remains difficult for me. My recall of Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost was spotty to say the least. I was able to remember the first two lines without a problem, and the second two came after a bit of thought, but I needed to check the poem to recall the first few words of each stanza. The rest seemed to come relatively easily with these first few words. This suggests to me that I have the stanzas largely memorized as units, but I struggle to link them together.

Memory Attempt 1

For this reason, I am going to start associating simple icons with each of the lines of poetry and imagine them interacting in my mind. I will also create a simple mind map using the method of loci to place them.

Poetry Mind Map Icons

Locations and icons

  1. Front door to building: trees and K’s shooting at door and breaking the windows
  2. Community book library: little community free library is shaped like a house, and thousands more being popping up next to it like a village
  3. Place where smokers congregate: I use a stop sign to smash things
  4. Bank windows: I take off my glasses and see trees inside with snow filling up and people struggling to get out
  5. Coffee shop: a tiny rainbow horse crashes out of the windows
  6. Red barn market: a red barn falls onto the store and crushes the store
  7. Walkway between trees and pond: I slip and fall because of all the ice between the trees and pond
  8. Exercise room: it is pitch black and I cannot see anything inside
  9. Coffee shop: a horse carriage with bells ringing crashes into the coffee shop during an earthquake
  10. Crosswalk: a big question mark and a large “X” are sword fighting above the traffic
  11. Bus stop: a guy sweeping the bus stop rigorously while whistling produces notes above his head
  12. Four-way stop: the guy gets blown easily a four-way stop with snow coming down
  13. Hotel: a forest of flower trees emerges, pushing a dark shadow off the hotel, only to fall into a large, deep hole
  14. Bay: I find a giant ring on the bay wall railing, and I try to hold onto it as it floats into the sky
  15. The sky: I look up and see “Z”s floating around in the air above my head (this counts for two lines)

With these locations and icons, I was able to recall the poem relatively easily:

Memory Attempt 2

Poetry: Dickinson

The next poem to memorize will be Emily Dickinson’s Because I Could Not Stop for Death. I will start by forming icons for this poem from the start. Perhaps this method will take longer, but I can imagine it will stay in my mind longer. Here is my start.

Poem Mind Map Icons (Dickinson)

With this piece completed, I will start building another mind journey with locations to anchor each icon. Once those structures are complete, I will memorize the poem and test my recall of it next week.