Chapter 6

Now, if the reader has gained a _clear conception_ of the Analytic-Synthetic and Interrogative Analysis methods, he is sure to be convinced of their undoubted superiority to the _rote_ method. And if he must needs learn Poe's "Bells" before to-morrow night, he would probably spend most of the intervening time in trying to learn it by the discredited _rote_ method, and most likely fail in the attempt, while he is satisfied in theory that he could memorise it by one of my methods in three hours, or in half of that time. The difficulty in his case is to induce him to exert his willpower long enough to practise my methods in learning not a few detached sentences, but an entire poem of 50 or 200 lines; but if he does this in one instance, he effectually breaks down the old bad habit of endless unassimilating repetition and introduces a good habit instead. He will then learn Poe's "Bells" by my methods in one-tenth, if not one-fiftieth, part of the time it would take him to do it by the _rote_ method.

11. I here produce the poem in the hope that every one who studies my System will learn it by the Analytic-Synthetic method, and when he has learned the first stanza he should then glance at my Analysis of it which follows the poem and compare his work with mine. Let him then learn the rest of the poem--and thereafter, as a genuine exercise of his _reviving_ power and as a training in attention, let him recall it as often as once a week for as many weeks as his desire for improvement continues, or until the recital of it becomes merely automatic.

THE BELLS.

Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells-- What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, in the icy air of night! While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens seem to twinkle with a crystalline delight; Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells-- From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

Hear the mellow wedding-bells, golden bells! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells-- Through the balmy air of night how they ring out their delight! From the molten-golden notes, and all in tune, What a liquid ditty floats To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats on the moon! Oh, from out the sounding cells, What a gush of euphony voluminously wells! How it swells! how it dwells On the Future! how it tells of the rapture that impels To the swinging and the ringing of the bells, bells, bells-- Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells-- To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!

Hear the loud alarum bells--brazen bells! What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells! In the startled ear of night How they scream out their affright! Too much horrified to speak, They can only shriek, shriek, out of tune, In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire, In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire Leaping higher, higher, higher, with a desperate desire, And a resolute endeavor now--now to sit or never, By the side of the pale-faced moon. Oh, the bells, bells, bells! What a tale their terror tells of despair! How they clang, and clash, and roar! What a horror they outpour On the bosom of the palpitating air! Yet the air, it fully knows, By the twanging and the clanging, How the danger ebbs and flows; yet the ear distinctly tells In the jangling and the wrangling, How the danger sinks and swells, By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells--of the bells-- Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells-- In the clamor and the clangor of the bells!

Hear the tolling of the bells--iron bells! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels! In the silence of the night, How we shiver with affright At the melancholy menace of their tone! For every sound that floats From the rust within their throats is a groan. And the people--ah, the people-- They that dwell up in the steeple, all alone! And who tolling, tolling, tolling, in that muffled monotone, Feel a glory in so rolling on the human heart a stone-- They are neither man nor woman-- They are neither brute nor human--they are Ghouls: And their king it is who tolls; And he rolls, rolls, rolls, rolls a pæan from the bells! And his merry bosom swells with the pæan of the bells! And he dances and he yells; Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme, To the pæan of the bells--of the bells; Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme, To the throbbing of the bells--of the bells, bells, bells, To the sobbing of the bells; keeping time, time, time, As he knells, knells, knells, in a happy Runic rhyme, To the rolling of the bells--of the bells, bells, bells-- To the tolling of the bells, of the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells-- To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.

EDGAR A. POE.

APPLICATION OF THE ANALYTIC-SYNTHETIC METHOD.

This method can be applied in several different ways according to the idiosyncrasies of different students. One way is as follows:--"Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells." Applying this method, we have--1. Hear the sledges; 2. Hear the sledges _with the bells_; 3. Hear the sledges with the bells--_bells_; 4. Hear the sledges with the bells--_silver_ bells. Or, if we use the Interrogatory Analysis Method we could proceed thus: 1. What act of the mind do we exercise in regard to the sledges with the bells--silver bells? "_Hear_ the sledges with the bells--silver bells." 2. What kind of a vehicle do we hear with the bells? "Hear _the sledges_ with the bells--silver bells." 3. What is it we hear in connection with the sledges? "Hear the sledges with _the bells_--silver _bells_." 4. What kind of bells do we hear? "Hear the sledges with the bells--_silver_ bells."

We advance to the second line, which is a reflection on the facts stated in the first line. The two lines are thus connected through the operation of cause, or occasion. [Con.] "What a world of merriment their melody foretells." We will henceforth only use the Analytic-Synthetic Method. 1. Melody foretells. 2. _Their_ melody foretells. 3. _What merriment_ their melody foretells. 4. What _a world_ of merriment their melody foretells. Having seen that the second line grows out of the first, and having memorised both we can recall them together thus:

1. Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells-- 2. What a world of merriment their melody foretells!

The third line runs thus: "How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the icy air of night." Melody means "a succession of agreeable musical sounds." It is a general term--"tinkle, tinkle, tinkle," means a species of musical sounds, the sounds of the bells. Thus we see that these two lines bear towards each other the relation of genus and species. This relation carefully noticed will tend to hold the lines together. Let us now apply our Method: 1. They tinkle. 2. They tinkle _in the night_. 3. _How_ they tinkle in the night. 4. How they tinkle, _tinkle_ in the night. 5. How they tinkle, tinkle, _tinkle_ in the night. 6. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, in the _air of_ night. 7. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the _icy_ air of night. Now let us recall all the lines together, thus:

1. Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells-- 2. What a world of merriment their melody foretells! 3. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the icy air of night!

The fourth line being very short had better be memorised in connection with the fifth line, and in the expression of the Analysis, we can print the first word of the fifth line with a capital letter. The two lines are:

4. While the stars that oversprinkle 5. All the heavens, seem to twinkle with a crystalline delight.

Before proceeding we may notice "night" of the third line is directly connected with "stars" of the fourth line by Concurrence. This observed relation will tend to cement the lines together. Using our Method we say: 1. Stars oversprinkle. 2. _While the_ stars oversprinkle. 3. While the stars oversprinkle _the heavens_. 4. While the stars oversprinkle _All the heavens_. 5. While the stars _that_ oversprinkle All the heavens. 6. While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens _seem to twinkle_. 7. While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens seem to twinkle _with delight_. 8. While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens seem to twinkle with a _crystalline_ delight. So far we have learned the following lines:

1. Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells-- 2. What a world of merriment their melody foretells! 3. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the icy air of night! 4. While the stars that oversprinkle 5. All the heavens, seem to twinkle with a crystalline delight.

The _sixth_ line is in these words: "Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme." We observe that as "time" is here repeated three times, so "tinkle" was repeated three times in the third line. We must have observed, too, that it is "stars" of the fourth line that are said to "twinkle" in the fifth line. The two lines are as closely connected as grammatical construction and the expression of thought could make them. And the sixth line is an obvious continuation of the description. Analytically we say: 1. Keeping time in a rhyme. 2. Keeping time, _time_, in a rhyme. 3. Keeping time, time, _time_ in a rhyme. 4. Keeping time, time, time in a _sort_ of rhyme. 5. Keeping time, time, time in a sort of _Runic_ rhyme.

Let us now recall the six lines together.

1. Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells-- 2. What a world of merriment their melody foretells! 3. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the icy air of night! 4. While the stars that oversprinkle 5. All the heavens, seem to twinkle with a crystalline delight; 6. Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme.

The seventh line is the continuation of the sixth. Keeping time to what? "To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells." 1. The tintinnabulation wells. 2. The tintinnabulation _that_ wells. 3. The tintinnabulation that _musically_ wells. 4. The tintinnabulation that _so_ musically wells. 5. _To_ the tintinnabulation that so musically wells. Wells from what? From the bells, bells--occurring altogether six times more. This makes the eighth line. But some pupils say at once, "I can never be sure in reciting the line to recall bells only seven times, no more or less." These pupils will admit that they can be sure to say bells _four_ times, as bells, bells, bells, bells. Then, of course, they can say bells _three_ times more, making seven times altogether. Here, then, we have the seventh and eighth lines, as follows:

7. To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells 8. From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells--

The ninth line is--"From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells."

In the eighth line we have "bells" seven times repeated in all--bells being taken in their utmost generality, viz., _musical_ action. But in the ninth or last line we have the very specific action of the bells, to wit: "From the _jingling_ and the _tinkling_ of the bells." We can make a short analysis, which is always better than unthinking repetition, as: 1. From the bells. 2. From the _jingling_ of the bells. 3. From the jingling _and the tinkling_ of the bells. The seventh, eighth, and ninth lines are as follows:

7. To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells 8. From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells-- 9. From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

Having already learned the first six lines, we have but to preface these last three by the previous six, and we have the first stanza as follows:--

1. Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells-- 2. What a world of merriment their melody foretells! 3. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the icy air of night! 4. While the stars that oversprinkle 5. All the heavens, seem to twinkle with a crystalline delight; 6. Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme, 7. To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells 8. From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells-- 9. From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

In a similar manner, the pupil can memorise the three remaining stanzas.

Having heretofore learned the order of the four different kinds of bells, and having dealt with the first or "silver" bells, we know that the next or second stanza is concerned with the "golden" bells. Similarly, when we finish the second stanza, we know that the third stanza deals with the "brazen" bells, and the last with the "iron" bells.

No further hints need be offered except perhaps in regard to the last ten lines of the last stanza.

Notice the coincidences, the resemblances, or Inclusions, the Exclusions, and the Concurrences. "Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme," occurs three times--but on the third appearance of that phrase, there is a change which must be observed; for it bears this form: "Keeping time, time, time, _as he knells, knells, knells, in a happy_ Runic rhyme." But the main difficulty with most students seems to be to remember _the number of times_ the word "bells" is repeated in the different lines. We must keep to the text and not resort to any foreign matter to help the feeble memory. The words _pæan_, _throbbing_, _sobbing_, _rolling_ and _tolling_ occur in the lines where the "bells" are mentioned (except in that next to the last line, where "bells" occurs three times, and there is no other word in that line), and in the last line "bells" is found once, and the words "moaning" and "groaning" appear. Memorise these seven words by Analysis, to wit: pæan, throbbing, sobbing, rolling, tolling, moaning and groaning. Thus _pæan_--a song of triumph--might cause heart _throbbing_, an inward act accompanied in the present instance by _sobbing_, and this outward manifestation of grief would be intensified by the _rolling_ of the bells and their _tolling_. _Moaning_ and _groaning_ are figurative expressions for the moaning and groaning of the mourners.

Now the figures 2, 4, 1, 4, 8, 1 (easily learned by analysis as 2, 4, 1 and 4, 8, 1, or 2, 4 with 1 following, and 4, 8, with 1 following, or 2, 4 with 1 following, and [double 2, 4] 4, 8 and 1 following) give the _number of times_ the word "bells" occurs in connection with the words just learned. Opposite the line where _tolling_ occurs we have marked 8, since "bells" occurs in that line five times and three times in the next line, where no other word is found.

Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme, 2. To the _pæan_ of the bells--of the bells; Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme, 4. To the _throbbing_ of the bells, of the bells, bells, bells, 1. To the _sobbing_ of the bells; keeping time, time, time, As he knells, knells, knells, in a happy Runic rhyme, 4. To the _rolling_ of the bells, of the bells, bells, bells, 8. To the _tolling_ of the bells, of the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells; 1. To the _moaning_ and the _groaning_ of the bells.

Carrying these suggestions to the text, they help fix the exact number of times the word "bells" occurs in each line. There are other legitimate ways to assist a poor memory to master these lines, but whatever is done let no one ever think of resorting to the unthoughtive, brainless process of endless repetition.

Poe's "Bells," being a difficult selection to learn, furnishes, as all difficult selections do, numerous opportunities for applying Analysis to fix the lines in memory. Hence it should be _mastered_ and often recited by all who would learn to memorise poetry or prose, in, at the very least, _one-fifth_ of the time required by the old mind-wandering process of _rote_ learning.

ANALYTIC SUBSTITUTIONS.

ANOTHER METHOD FOR REMEMBERING DATES AND FIGURES.

This lesson in figures is given for the benefit of those who have not yet mastered NUMERIC THINKING. The pupil will appreciate its practical value the moment he masters the key to it.

This is given in the next few pages, and it will be found to be easy of comprehension and interesting to a surprising degree.

The whole thing is in a nutshell. Numbers, as such, are abstractions and hard to be remembered. To make them hard to forget, we translate them into words or phrases. These are easily remembered and they always instantly _give back_ the figures they stand for.

We represent the figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0, by certain _consonants_; and then, as the vowels [a, e, i, o, u, and y, together with w] have _no numerical_ value assigned to them, we turn dates or any numbers into translating _words_, which will always tell us precisely the figures the words stand for.

As this simple process enables us to remember any dates or numbers with _absolute certainty_, the pupil will be pleased to know that he can learn _how it is done_ by only _one thoughtful_ perusal.

The questions at the bottom of each page constitute an invaluable aid to test the accuracy of his knowledge and the correctness of his inferences.

1. Is it possible to exaggerate the importance of this lesson? 2. When will the pupil appreciate its practical value? 3. Where is this key given? 4. Are numbers hard to remember? 5. How do we make them hard to forget? 6. By what are the figures represented? 7. What letters have no numerical value assigned to them? 8. What do the questions at the bottom of each page constitute?

The nought and the nine digits are _represented_ by the following _consonants_ when they are _sounded_ or _pronounced_; viz., 0 (nought) by s, z, or c^soft as in cease, 1 by t, th, or d, 2 by n, 3 by m, 4 by r, 5 by l, 6 by sh, j, ch, or g^soft as in the first g of George, 7 g^hard as in Gorge, k, c^hard as in _c_ane, q, or ng, 8 by f or v, and 9 by b or p.

Ample practice in translating the sounded consonants of words into figures, or of figures into the sounded consonants of words will now be given. If the reader can _remember_ the foregoing consonant equivalents of figures in connection with the tabulated Figure Alphabet on the 74th page of this lesson, he can at once pass on through the book. If not, he must carefully study the intervening pages with painstaking--for when once learned, no further difficulty can arise.

The tabulated Figure Alphabet on the 74th page of this lesson expresses the consonant values of the nought and nine digits in perpendicular columns, as under nought (0) are placed _s_, _z_, and _c_^soft; under nine are placed _b_ and _p_; under six are placed _sh_, _j_, _ch_, and _g_^soft, &c. Only those who possess first-rate natural memories can learn the equivalents of the sounded consonants in figures from this table. But when learned in this way, the pupil requires much practice in translating words into figures and figures into words. Even this exceptional pupil had better carefully study the ensuing examples.

The first thing to be done is to learn _which_ consonants are used to stand for and represent the nought (0) and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Let the student remember that we use vowels to make words with, but we do not give the vowels [a, e, i, o, u], or w, or y, _any number value whatever_.

WE REPRESENT THE NOUGHT OR CYPHER [0] BY THE CONSONANTS S, Z, OR C^soft [AS IN _CEASE_].

The figure value of "sew," therefore equals or is represented by a cipher [0]. S = 0, and the vowel "e" and the consonant "w" have _no figure value_. Cannot the student understand at once that {S}ay = 0, {S}ee = 0, Ea{s}e = 0, I{s} = 0, and {Z}oe = 0, and {S}ei{z}e = 00, {S}i{z}e = 00, {S}au{c}e = 00?

The following is another way of fixing in mind this first rule.

If the capital letter =S= were cut into two parts, and the bottom half attached to the top half, it would make a nought (=0=). _So it is easy to remember that S represents =0=._ C^soft as in _cease_ has the same sound as S, and should therefore stand for the same figure, _viz._, 0; and Z is a cognate of S--that is, it is _made by the same organs of speech in the same position_ as when making S, only it is an undertone, and S is a whispered letter. Besides Z should represent =0= because it begins the word Zero--C^soft should also stand for =0= for the additional reason that C^soft begins the word cipher. _In translating a word into figures we always turn S, Z, or C^soft into nought (0); in turning figures into words we always translate a nought (0) into S, Z, or C^soft._

1. What is the first thing to be done? 2. What must the student remember in connection with vowels? 3. By what do we represent the cipher? 4. What other way is given for fixing the first rule in the mind? 5. What is meant by a "cognate"? 6. What kind of a letter is S?

1 IS REPRESENTED BY THE CONSONANT "T," "TH," OR "D."

{T}oy = 1. As "t" stands for 1, and o and y are vowels, and have no figure value, the numerical value of Toy _must_ be 1.

{Th}ee = 1, {Th}ou = 1, {D}ay = 1, {D}ew = 1, {Th}i{s} = 10, {Th}u{s} = 10, {D}oe{s} = 10, {T}ie{s} = 10, {T}oe{s} = 10, {D}ee{d} = 11, {D}o{th} = 11, {T}o-{d}ay = 11, {T}a{t}too[B] = 11, {T}u{t} = 11, {T}oa{d} = 11, {T}ie{d} = 11, {S}a{t} = 01, {S}ai{d} = 01, {S}ea{t}= 01, {D}ay{s} = 10, {T}oy{s} = 10, {Th}e{s}e = 10, {Th}o{s}e = 10.

[B] See rules on page 72.

"t" stands for 1, because it is made with _one_ downward stroke. "h" has no figure value except when it is united with "s" or "c" in sh or ch, and therefore "th" _must_ represent 1, and d, being the cognate of "t," it is represented by 1. Hence we translate "t," "th," and "d" by the figure 1, and when we want to represent 1, by letters, we translate it into t, th, or d.

2 IS REPRESENTED BY "N," because it is made by two downward strokes. {N}o = 2, A{n}y = 2, O{n}e = 2, {N}oi{s}e = 20, {N}i{c}e = 20, {N}e{s}{t} = 201, {N}o{t}e = 21, {Th}e{n} = 12, {N}u{n} = 22, {N}a{n} = 22, {S}o{n} = 02, {S}i{n}e = 02, {Z}o{n}e = 02, {N}i{n}e = 22, {Z}e{n}o = 02, {S}ow{n} = 02.

3 IS REPRESENTED BY "M," because the written m is made by _three_ downward strokes. Ai{m} = 3, {S}u{m} = 03, {M}u{m} = 33, {M}ai{m} = 33, {M}o{n}ey = 32, {M}o{th} = 31, {M}oo{n} = 32, {M}a{n} = 32, {M}o{n}{th} = 321, A{m}e{n}{d}{s} = 3210, {Th}i{n} = 12, E{n}e{m}ie{s} = 230, Ho{m}e = 3.

4 IS REPRESENTED BY "R," because it terminates the word _four_ in several languages. Ai{r} = 4. A and i are vowels, and count for no figure value in Air, and hence that word represents only the figure 4. Wi{r}e = 4, {R}ow = 4, Wo{r}{t} = 41, W{r}a{th} = 41, Wo{r}{th} = 41, {R}i{d}e = 41, Hei{r}{s} = 40, {R}ui{n}{s} = 420, {R}oa{s}{t} = 401, {R}u{m} = 43, {R}oa{r} = 44, {S}au{c}e{r} = 004, {S}wo{r}{d}{s}{m}a{n} = 041032, {R}a{z}o{r}{s} = 4040, A{r}i{s}e{n} = 402, He{r}{m}i{t}{s} = 4310.

1. In translating a word into figures, what do we always do? 2. By what letters is the figure 1 represented? 3. Why does "t" stand for 1? 4. When does the letter "h" have a figure value? 5. By what is 2 represented? 6. Why? 7. How do we represent 3? 8. Why? 9. By what consonant is 4 represented? 10. Why?