How to Memorize Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln was a great orator.

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There are many times when being able to persuade someone is very important to success. Oratory is the art of giving a speech that calls others to action. Memorizing Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address will help you practice your oratorical skills.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

A copy of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
a familiar song

Sing it!

Step1

Things are easier to memorize when they are sung. The Grammar Rock and History Rock series from the late 1970's taught how a bill becomes law by singing "I'm just a bill." Many schoolchildren learned the preamble to the U.S. Constitution by singing along with a Schoolhouse Rock song. Choose a familiar tune. Almost any piece of text can be sung to "The Yellow Rose of Texas," "Amazing Grace," or "Greensleeves."

Step2

Have a partner read you one line of the text at a time. Sing one line over and over until you can do it without any mistakes. Add a second line, then the next line, until you are able to sing a paragraph without any mistakes.

Step3

If you get stuck, don't stop. Just look at your partner, wait for them to repeat the line and sing it.

Step4

Once you are able to sing the words, sing a line and then speak it out. Eventually, have your partner sing the line, and you repeat it without singing it. When you can recite the entire thing without singing, you have it!