2014-11-05-mnemonic-poetry-and-guy-fawkes-night.md

layout	title	date	author	tags	modified_time	blogger_id	blogger_orig_url
post	Mnemonic poetry and Guy Fawkes night	2014-11-05T12:55:00.001-08:00	Charles Sutton	britain uk customs silly	2016-12-28T04:52:26.881-08:00	tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4651184076703138844.post-6735108038342046344	http://www.theexclusive.org/2014/11/mnemonic-poetry-and-guy-fawkes-night.html

I walked home past several people setting off sparklers and fireworks in the meadows. In Edinburgh celebrations of Guy Fawkes night are not elaborate, but you can smell the gunpowder.

A good thing, because otherwise I can never remember what night it is. The traditional rhyme

     Remember, remember, the fifth of November

is about the worst possible mnemonic that I could think of. It fits the meter just as well to say

     Remember, remember, the FOURTH of November

but you aren't meant to remember that one. Personally I prefer

     Remember, remember, the ninth of November,

because that happens also to be my birthday.

Much more sensible to base the rhyme on the part that's easiest to confuse. Instead, how about:

Let the memory survive       That the king was still alive           On November five.

Now you won't forget.