Keywords
mnemonic devices, mnemonic writing, writing instruction, writing techniques, mnemonic products
Submission Type
Research
Preview
Cicero ( 106-43 BCE) was renowned during his lifetime and influential long after as an extraordinary orator and writer, able to recall long speeches from memory. A technique termed the memory palace, which associates memory with locations-also called method of loci-enabled ancient rhetoricians to deliver stimulating speeches. Retention of information was essential for delivering speeches not just because it was impressive but also due to the paucity of writing materials. Writers and orators relied on wax tablets that could be inscribed with a stylus but could not archive the text; as a result, the information had to be memorized, part of the education of young scholars and children (Frampton, 2019). The famous fresco of a young woman found in the excavations of Pompeii show just such a wax tablet and stylus (Figure 1). A modern interpretation is produced by the Scribal Workshop, located in Texas.
Recommended Citation
Anderson, Sarah; Bills, Alexa; Conlin, Kaitlyn; Crawford, Eve; Eggli, Natalie; Grant, Jenae; Hammer, Lilly; Isaacson, Andrew; Jimenez, Kassandra; Mansfield, Ryan; Rowley, Brindley; Stringham, Samantha; Waldenberg, Meghan; Wallis, Brady; and Kinkead, Joyce
(2022)
"Fanboys, POW, & Mount Plot: Mnemonic Devices Used in Teaching Writing,"
The Utah English Journal: Vol. 50, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/uej/vol50/iss1/5