entively, securing a perfectly clear impression of it;
then practise calling up the visual image of it, until you secure
perfect reproduction.

Exercise 3. List the different images called up by the passage from
_Romeo and Juliet_.

CHAPTER VI

FIRST AIDS TO MEMORY; IMPRESSION

Of all the mental operations employed by the student, memory is
probably the one in which the greatest inefficiency is manifested.
Though we often fail to realize it, much of our life is taken up with
memorizing. Every time we make use of past experience, we rely upon
this function of the mind, but in no occupation is it quite so
practically important as in study. We shall begin our investigation of
memory by dividing it into four phases or stages--Impression,
Retention, Recall and Recognition. Any act of memory involves them all.
There is first a stage when the material is being impressed; second, a
stage when it is being retained so that it may be revived in the
future; third, a stage of recall when the retained material is revived
to meet present needs; fourth, a feeling of recognition, through which
the material is recognized as having previously been in the mind.

Impression is accomplished through the sense organs; and in the
foregoing chapter we laid down the rule: Guard the avenues of
impression and admit only such things as you wish to retain. This
necessitates that you go slowly at first. This is a principle of all
habit formation, but is especially important in habits of memorizing.
Much of the poor memory that people complain about is due to the fact
that they make first impressions carelessly. One reason why people fail
to remember names is that they do not get a clear impression of the
name at the start. They are introduced in a hurry or the introducer
mumbles; consequently no clear impression is secured. Under such
circumstances how could one expect to retain and recall the name? Go
slowly, then, in impressing material for the first time. As you look up
the words of a foreign language in the lexicon, trying to memorize
their English equivalents, take plenty of time. Obtain a clear
impression of the sound and appearance of the words.

Inasmuch as impressions may be made through any of the sense organs,
one problem in the improvement of memory concerns the choice of sense
avenues. As an infant you used all senses impartially in your eager
search after information. You voraciously put things into your mouth
and discove