By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
What qualities make a poem especially good for committing to memory? In our extensive experience of compiling lists of poems for all occasions and needs, we’d say that ideally, the best poems to memorise or ‘learn by heart’ should 1) have a fairly regular rhythm or metre (as this can aid the memory), 2) rhyme, and 3) be fairly short.
The poems we’ve compiled below all fit these criteria, so if you’re looking to impress your friends or increase your knowledge of poetry, these ten poems are great places to start.