Memories of Lucasta

For English class my senior year in high school, we had an assignment to memorize any poem from our textbook that was 12 lines or more. Being the incredible scholar and amazing procrastinator that I am, I kept putting off this assignment. I went to school on the day it was due and had about 5 minutes before class began. I figured that was a good time to start reading poetry. I quickly scanned my book until I found a 12 line poem...I figured there was no need to go beyond the call of duty. In those 5 minutes, I read and re-read that poem until I felt that I could regurgitate it on command. I was successful, got an A on the assignment and figured that was the end of it. Interestingly though, from that day to this, even though more than 25 years have passed, I still remember that poem. I never read it again and had only spent those 5 minutes memorizing it, but somehow it stays in my mind year after year. The brain is an amazing thing, isn't it? Makes me wonder though, why is it that I can remember this poem but I can have trouble remembering people's names or what I ate yesterday?

So here is the poem, straight out of my head...I didn't check to see that I still have it word for word but, if not, I'm sure it is close:

To Lucasta On Going to War

by Richard Lovelace

Tell me not Sweet that I am unkind
That from the nunnery

Of thy chaste breast and quiet mind

To war and arms I fly

True a new mistress now I chase,

The first foe in the field

And with a stronger faith embrace

A horse, a sword, a shield

Yet this inconstancy is such,

That you too shall adore

I could not love thee dear so much

Loved I not honor more