mnemonic, mnemonic, mnemonic, mnemonic...

a mnemonic is a form of words or letters that assists the memory. for example, the initial letters of the mnemonic Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain give the order of the colours in a rainbow. now that is all very well, but it gives us absolutely no clue why i should wake up at 5am in the morning repeating this word over and over like a mantra.