When you need exact words, such as a poem, a passage or a pledge, try first-letter cues. Write only the first letter of each word, then recite from the letters.
Robert Frost, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" (1923):
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
First letters: W w t a I t I k. / H h i i t v t; / H w n s m s h / T w h w f u w s.
Key idea
Cue card = first letters + the punctuation. It gives just enough to recall, but not enough to read.
Worked example: Worked example
Make the cue for "Twinkle, twinkle, little star."
- Twinkle T, twinkle t, little l, star s.
Answer: T, t, l s.
Why it works
First letters turn reading into recall, which is what makes a memory stick.