How do I go about learning quotations, from multiple long texts and poems, which I can then use in my exams?

This is one of the biggest niggles about closed text exams, because you feel like the exam becomes a memory test rather than a test of your ability to answer the question about literature. However, if you think about it a different way it makes it much easier to begin learning quotations. Ways of memorising: A breakdown 1. Associate each quotation with an idea (maybe use a mindmap or a cue card to do this) Chapter 3 of 'The Great Gatsby' "At least once a fortnight a corps of caterers came down with several hundred feet of canvas and enough coloured lights to make a Christmas tree of Gatsby’s enormous garden." With this quotation - the associated idea is likely to be something about Gatsby's gaudy and somewhat sickly overabundance in pursuit of the materialism of the American dream. With that in mind you can remember that like a child Gatsby endeavoured to "make a Christmas tree" of his "enormous garden", which in itself is a very memorable image. 2. Make sure quotations are not too long - sometimes a word is enough "Christmas tree" 3. Find the best way to get it into your head  a. Look, cover, write, check?  b. Record and listen?  c. Speak outloud? 4. Practice questions How far do you agree with the view that Fitzgerald presents Gatsby’s life as pitiful rather than inspiring? (AQA, Unit 1 Aspects of Narrative, Q. 30)