While memorization has been criticized as outdated, recent studies have suggested that memorized poetry constitutes a vital repository which enhances the quality of individuals' lives. The pedagogical potential of learning poetry by heart, however, has hardly been explored in contemporary settings. This qualitative study focuses on the experiences of seven adolescent student participants in the inaugural National Poetry Recitation Competition held in Singapore in 2023, which involved 169 contestants. Employing an exploratory case study approach, including the analysis of interviews and field notes, this study applies Judith Langer's concept of "envisionment-building" (2011) as a primary lens through which to interpret the students' experiences, while elucidating aspects of their experiences in the light of schema theory. Findings indicate that students' experiences demonstrate evidence of Langer's first and fourth principles of envisionment-building most strongly, as manifested through the practice of poetry memorization and recitation. This study further proposes a model informed by students' responses that could guide literature educators to support students in learning poetry by heart as a path towards envisionment-building, contributing to a pedagogy of hope while expanding opportunities to motivate deeper engagement with poetry.