8. The reader has also observed that the second line in each stanza contains a reflection in the form of an exclamation on the function or result of the uses of the bells spoken of, as in the second line of the first stanza we see: "What a world of merriment their melody foretells;" in the second stanza the second line gives us, "What a world of happiness their harmony foretells;" the second line of the third stanza reads as follows: "What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells;" and in the fourth stanza the second line runs thus: "What a world of solemn thought their monody compels."
9. Other points of resemblance [In.], or of unlikeness [Ex.], were noticed in the reader's first perusal of this poem, and these, as well as those already remarked upon, will greatly facilitate his learning the exact language of each stanza.
10. Now comes the _test_. It is often said that habit is "second" nature. The Duke of Wellington more truly said: "Habit is _ten times_ nature." The reader early acquired the habit of learning prose and poetry by the _rote_ method--the method of repeating the sentences over and over again almost endlessly till ear or eye retains the exact language.
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.