While some may consider a title to be like a cereal box label in that it explains what's inside, there are other motivations for including one.
It isn't unusual for a writer to leave his work untitled, but even the word, "untitled", becomes a title in itself. A piece of writing needs a reference for publication, and in the event that a writer chooses to leave his work untitled, the first line is often used.
Why Title?
The cereal box metaphor aside, there are, without a doubt, more choices for titles than there are individual works and collections. Some may argue that a title limits the work, as it may become a barrier to "entering" it. Others may argue that a title expands the work's scope or offers clues to unraveling its meaning. Still others will claim that there needs to be a way to distinguish one work from another. I feel that the title is the first thing a reader sees when coming to a work, and therefore sets the mood or gives important information to the reader.
The following poem is one of my favorites. I've left the title off and I am tasking you with coming up with a new title for the poem. Next week, I will reveal the true title of the poem. Have fun and title away!
by Miller Williams
Some of what we do, we do
to make things happen,
the alarm to wake us up, the coffee to perc,
the car to start.
The rest of what we do, we do
trying to keep something from doing something,
the skin from aging, the hoe from rusting,
the truth from getting out.
With yes and no like the poles of a battery
powering our passage through the days,
we move, as we call it, forward,
wanting to be wanted,
wanting not to lose the rain forest,
wanting the water to boil,
wanting not to have cancer,
wanting to be home by dark,
wanting not to run out of gas,
as each of us wants the other
watching at the end,
as both want not to leave the other alone,
as wanting to love beyond this meat and bone,
we gaze across breakfast and pretend.
Motivation or Why We Do What We Do
ReplyDeletevery interesting choices, very powerful and meaningful to the poem.
DeleteNarcissistic life
ReplyDeleteWhat we do
ReplyDeleteWhat We Want to Do
ReplyDeleteThis is similar to mine
DeleteEarly Morning Introspection
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good one!
Deletewhat we want
ReplyDeleteWhat we do
ReplyDeletewhat we are wanting to do with ourselves
ReplyDeleteThe Boundaries of Wanting
ReplyDeleteI like this one!
DeleteTied by Limits
ReplyDeleteEndless Wants
ReplyDeleteSelfishness
ReplyDeleteOnly Just a Dream
ReplyDeleteBusy Bee :)
ReplyDeleteha ha michael creative michael
DeleteWe Do
ReplyDeleteLet's Play House
ReplyDeleteCuriously Wanting
ReplyDeleteDesire
ReplyDeleteWe do,we do
ReplyDeletedo
ReplyDeleteEverlasting Love
ReplyDeleteThe truth behind what we do and why we do it
ReplyDeletewhy do we want what we want
ReplyDeleteAnd the poem's REAL title is.....Love Poem With Toast
ReplyDeleteWhat we do
ReplyDeletelove poem with toast
ReplyDeletelife is a poem
ReplyDeletea poem is life with toast.
ReplyDelete