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Why titles are so hard

The title of a poem carries a lot of responsibility. It sets the stage for the poem, gives hints and suggestions, and provides a means of entry into the poem, all in a few words, without being overly suggestive and at the same time without saying nothing at all. Titling a poem poorly may result in an unjust portrayal of the poem, perhaps by limiting its scope and depth, or even by misunderstanding it completely. This is the burden poets carry when it comes to titling a poem.

Then there is always the dilemma that the title must sometimes reflect a suggestion made by the poem rather than what the poem says explicitly. On one hand, making an explicit connection seems to reveal more than the poem actually contains; on the other hand, remaining vague will deprive the reader of a point of reference. This conflict between revealing too much and revealing too little is real and difficult to reconcile, which explains why poets can agonize over titles for longer than their poems.

The blank space at the top

Many poets find that the open area where the title should be placed is, itself, another type of empty page that can paralyze one completely. It is difficult to give up and move on when the completed poem sits there without a title, feeling that everything is never quite enough to put your name upon. Yet this is not about having no ideas, but too much pressure to choose something perfect. One method to get beyond the immobilization is to create a list of titles from which one can respond and, hence, release the tension of staring at an empty page. A free poem title generator can offer that pool of starting options, and the poet’s real work becomes choosing, refining, and reshaping them into a title that fits, rather than conjuring one from intimidating silence.

Generate, then choose with the poet’s ear

Letting the poem keep its mystery

Titles that work for me do not explain the poems but rather provide an entrance into the poem and leave open enough mystery to make one want to read the poem again and again. Developing a sense of what constitutes a good title requires time and practice on the part of the writer, something that even the best software will not be able to provide. However, what the software does give the paralyzed poet are choices, choices that the writer then must choose from.

Naming without fear

When the title becomes the obstacle that holds a completed poem back from being shared with the rest of the world, the best solution is simply to brainstorm and listen to your instincts. Many poets I teach use FaddyAI just to break the titling paralysis, then bring their own ear to the final choice, which is exactly the right division of labor.

The title is a seemingly minor detail that can derail a surprisingly large number of poems not because poets have nothing to say, but because the expectation of naming something seems so daunting. The solution to this problem is to take the tension out of it, come up with any number of possibilities, and use a poet’s ear to find the right one that both names and enshrouds the poem in mystery. Poems deserve titles, and titles need not keep poems from being discovered by their audiences.

All these years later, there is something that I still find touching about the release of a completed poem to its audience after it has been liberated from the small dictatorship of the perfect title. There are so many poems that never reach an audience due to their authors getting held up on this last step, waiting for the title to be just right before it can be released. The title is important, but it doesn’t trump the importance of actually letting the poem exist out there in the world where it can potentially be read. Think it through, go with your instinct, pick one you like, and get the poem out there into the world.
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The Title Problem: Why Naming a Poem Is Often Harder Than Writing One

Why titles are so hard

The blank space at the top

Generate, then choose with the poet’s ear

Letting the poem keep its mystery

Naming without fear

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