Oh, to be more like Anne...

This past weekend there was an essay in the New York Times, "Got Poetry?" by Jim Holt, that makes a very convincing case for memorizing poetry. Yes, there are the "it's good for you" reasons, but I liked how he argued for the pure pleasure of it.
And if you need more evidence - look no further than Anne (the Anne, of "Green Gables" fame) performing "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes (in the 1985 PBS movie). Isn't the look on Gilbert Blythe's face enough to convince you to run out and commit something to memory??

via: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcAzEea4j-w

To read the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/books/review/Holt-t.html