I'm searching for short English texts to memorize. Provided that it has: rhyme and assonance easy to repeat (Like:If— by Rudyard Kipling).My experience in learning my mother tongue Arabic in addition to Hebrew using passages from sacred texts and prayers was excellent. Can someone help me in this matter? The texts may be: verses from the Bible, a short poem, a prose sermon, proverbs, etc. It is preferable to have an audio reading on the net, and to contain noble and sublime meanings.
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1Opinion-based, even ignoring the 'noble and sublime' part.– Michael HarveyDec 8, 2022 at 22:50
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Requests for materials are off-topic on this site, but on topic on our Meta, so I'm migrating it there.– gotube ModDec 9, 2022 at 1:27
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Depending upon how one's brain works, different styles will be better than others. For instance mine remembers poetry with plot and sequential action much better than picture poems. I still remember most of The Walrus and the Carpenter, which I memorized at school in the 1960s. Some of Shakespeare's soliloquies, or powerful political works, such as the Gettysburg Address or the US Declaration of Independence, can be good too.– Ray ButterworthDec 9, 2022 at 3:43
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@Ray Butterworth Thank you. Is it a good source for the most important English proverbs and expressions circulating in people's language now? * I mean in the formal language / the language of literature, thought and culture.– Khaled SarhanDec 10, 2022 at 13:14
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What aspects of English are you hoping to learn better from such verses? Remember that much English verse distorts grammar & usage in the service of rhyme, meter, & concise meaning. Also, what is your current approximate level of skill in English? Some verse would not work well at some levels Also, you mention "short". How long are you thinking of? You mention Kipling's "If". Much of Kipling's verse seems designed to be recited. Some indeed was apparently originally set to then popular music-hall tunes. One could do worse. But it would help to have a better idea of your goals here.– David SiegelDec 20, 2022 at 22:06
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Yes, exactly, I want little pieces that can be recited like a poem IF. I have found it easier for me to memorize and remember sung texts due to my religious upbringing, which made me able to memorize a large number of religious texts in this way when I was young.– Khaled SarhanDec 21, 2022 at 19:00
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2 Answers
Short rhymed texts... ie poems.
There are plenty of English poets. Pick one! How about Tennyson?
https://poetryarchive.org/explore/?key=tennyson&type=poems&theme=&form=®ion=
On the other hand, bible texts are rarely rhymed, and have usually lost their meter in translation. Most Psalms, for example, are translated to prose to preserve the meaning, not the song. Sermons are nearly always prose, as are most proverbs.
You could try browsing audio book sites such as Amazon Kindle (other audio book sites are available - some with free downloads). There are hundreds of audio books related to the bible and as many books of poetry or any other topic that interests you. You should probably stick with modern versions as you do not want to learn archaic language forms.
For example, you mentioned If by Rudyard Kipling I noticed that 3 free versions of this are available on a site called digitalbook.io along with many other classic English texts. The only 2 downsides of this site that I can see is that it is audio only ( you would have to get the printed version elsewhere if you wanted it) and the narrators I listened to are speaking with American accents, but that may not be a disadvantage to you.
Since we don't know your current level of English ability, it is almost impossible to recommend suitable books. You might need to start with anything from Michael Rosen (a very popular children's poet) to the works of Shakespeare which even some native speakers find difficult.
