http://www.conteonline.net/2009/02/02/naming-our-children-a-brief-editorial-on-titles/ A journal of narrative writing. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:08:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.conteonline.net/2009/02/02/naming-our-children-a-brief-editorial-on-titles/#comment-5722 Patricia L. Johnson Sat, 05 Feb 2011 15:01:07 +0000 http://www.conteonline.net/?p=32#comment-5722 This is priceless advice. Naming a poem is so important. Like a handle on a suitcase, a title helps carry the luggage a poem bears/bares. This is priceless advice. Naming a poem is so important. Like a handle on a suitcase, a title helps carry the luggage a poem bears/bares.

]]> http://www.conteonline.net/2009/02/02/naming-our-children-a-brief-editorial-on-titles/#comment-5363 Arlene Mandell Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:10:04 +0000 http://www.conteonline.net/?p=32#comment-5363 Yes, you are saying what needs to be said. A poem with the title "Spring Flowers," is uninspired and no doubt uninspiring. "Memories" promises to be . . . not worth reading. For every poem is composed of snippets of memories, not just of our life experience, but memories of what others have written, bits of the mind's string too short to use. I believe in making my titles informative in some way and not stating the obvious. For example, I have one (published) poem with the title "Yosemite's Triumph," but see no need to repeat the location within the poem. Another, "At Beth David," does not include the word "cemetery" or any specific mention of the religious affiliation of that cemetery. That information is there by inference. Sometimes, however, a truly inspiring poem just need a bit of an editor's guidance. Though some may approach perfection, ere are no perfect poets. Yes, you are saying what needs to be said. A poem with the title “Spring Flowers,” is uninspired and no doubt uninspiring. “Memories” promises to be . . . not worth reading. For every poem is composed of snippets of memories, not just of our life experience, but memories of what others have written, bits of the mind’s string too short to use. I believe in making my titles informative in some way and not stating the obvious. For example, I have one (published) poem with the title “Yosemite’s Triumph,” but see no need to repeat the location within the poem. Another, “At Beth David,” does not include the word “cemetery” or any specific mention of the religious affiliation of that cemetery. That information is there by inference. Sometimes, however, a truly inspiring poem just need a bit of an editor’s guidance. Though some may approach perfection, ere are no perfect poets.

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