"Memory is a muscle, not a quart jar."

— Holt, Jim


Author
Date
April 2, 2009
Metaphor
"Memory is a muscle, not a quart jar."
Metaphor in Context
I don’t have one myself, but I hope that I have at least dispelled three myths.

Myth No. 1: Poetry is painful to memorize. It is not at all painful. Just do a line or two a day.

Myth No. 2: There isn’t enough room in your memory to store a lot of poetry. Bad analogy. Memory is a muscle, not a quart jar.

Myth No. 3: Everyone needs an iPod. You do not need an iPod. Memorize poetry instead.
(p. BR23)
Provenance
Reading
Citation
Holt, Jim. "Got Poetry?" The New York Times. April 2, 2009. <Link to NYTimes.com>
Date of Entry
10/12/2010

The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.