Memorization in school

I don't know what got me to thinking about it, but I started reciting a poem I had to memorize some 22 years ago in 10th English. Did you have to remember any poems for class? What were they and do you remember any of them today?

Here's the poem:
Somebody said that it couldn?t be done,
But, he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn?t," but he would be one
Who wouldn?t say so till he?d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn?t be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you?ll never do that;
At least no one has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he?d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn?t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle it in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "couldn?t be done," and you?ll do it.


~Edgar A. Guest~

[Rice_Cube]

Hmmm.

I had to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution, the Star Spangled Banner, and a few poems and stuff. Also had to memorize lines when we did plays but I messed that up bad

My mom used to make me memorize Chinese poems so I could build up my memory. I guess it helped...now I can remember what I did 30 seconds ago instead of just 15 seconds ago

[Jessica]

I had to memorize the poem that the centipede said in, "James and the Giant Peach." I still sort of remember it, too.

We also had to memorize the Preamble. Bleh. I liked the centipede poem better.