Does anyone have experience memorizing long free verse poetry? I am 24 sections deep into Song of Myself by Walt Whitman and hoping to have learnt it by the end of the year. I’m using the method of repeating each line separately, then two lines then three and so on but on individual sections. Are there any other relevant techniques?
That is rote, but that’s fine. I would use imagery and line it up in a memory palace, but there are many ways to memorize. Whatever works for you good. 
There’s two parts. First you need to get it into your head, then you need to get it back out of your head.
To get it into your head I suggest just using a memory palace. Come up with some image for every word, or a scene to cluster several words together and place them at various loci. Write down what images you put where and what they mean, but don’t be afraid to change some of them later if either they simply don’t stick, or if your brain keeps wanting to remember something else (ex: You had the word to, and instead of a pair of wedding rings you keep thinking of Tupac just go with it.)
This is going to feel like a lot more work, but unless you’re a rare specimen it’s going to wind up putting all these words into your head within days or weeks, instead of months or years. Then it’s a matter of making sure you actually review it often enough to make it solid.
Other than that, work on decoding each section as instantly as possible, reciting what’s there. Eventually you’re going to be able to say the whole thing either without looking at your MP at all, or by just skimming through it.
You can also try something like this.
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