It is clear that what I want was misconstrued. Particular titles will always be there to be considered. But YOU thoughts on titles in general will likely give a wide variety of the ways we all think on titles

Can be much more than just bait. They can also give hints as to a second or even third level to the poem. since it's mine I can easily think of one titled "Bridges" the poem itself describes a simple repair to a small bridge . But by adding the "S" to it a person can infer that there are MANY types of bridges and many of them don't span water lol. Do ya'll have any examples of this use of titles?

And NO I'm not talking about that lol. Give me your thoughts on when a short or long title might be best.

the title the better. I'd like to here all of your opinions on this

just run wild lol. OK at this point I want each of you to look through your own poetry and find a poem which you think has a weak title. DO NOT POST IT YET. I will call on you to post it. I want each poem to receive a good going over and that won't happen if the stream is flooded by everybody at one time. So go look for a suitable poem and I'll begin calling for them this evening.

Just because we are about to start exercises doesn't mean that general discussions on titles now ends. But on to first assignment.
Gracy and Alan, please post one of your own poems whose title you are displeased with. Put (title shop) beside the title so everybody will know these are workshop submissions.
Once the poems are posted then other shop members are to comment on the poems and offer up a title which they think is better.
This phase of exercises will be done 2 poems about every other day unless a reason comes up that shows slowing down or speeding up will be better.......stan

Apologies for be AWOL, I was having comp problems

OK. I am very pleased with everybody's participation level. The next two people to submit a poem are Teddy 15 and lovely. Please do not post until Sunday

Something to think about. What are ya'll's thoughts on using a line or phrase from a poem for its title?

is that I've been told many times that asome poem of mine deserved a better title. What better way to improve than to get a bunch of poets together and get us all to really think about titles?

tyro and Rula, will ya'll please post your poem whose title you are unhappy with today? Post it on stream With the existing title and don't forget to put (title shop) next to title.

an example of the best title you've ever read for a poem? Put the title and poem here. I'll start off for a change lol

All out of doors looked darkly in at him
Through the thin frost, almost in separate stars,
That gathers on the pane in empty rooms.
What kept his eyes from giving back the gaze
Was the lamp tilted near them in his hand.
What kept him from remembering what it was
That brought him to that creaking room was age.
He stood with barrels round him - at a loss.
And having scared the cellar under him
In clomping there, he scared it once again
In clomping off; - and scared the outer night,
Which has its sounds, familiar, like the roar
Of trees and crack of branches, common things,
But nothing so like beating on a box.
A light he was to no one but himself
Where now he sat, concerned with he knew what,
A quiet light, and then not even that.
He consigned to the moon, such as she was,
So late-arising, to the broken moon
As better than the sun in any case
For such a charge, his snow upon the roof,
His icicles along the wall to keep;
And slept. The log that shifted with a jolt
Once in the stove, disturbed him and he shifted,
And eased his heavy breathing, but still slept.
One aged man - one man - can't fill a house,
A farm, a countryside, or if he can,
It's thus he does it of a winter night.

Would c lynn brooks and Lavender now please post your poems on stream. Be sure to put "titles shop) right next to the title so everybody can see them easily.

don't post anything yet. I am sure we all have a few wonderful titles rattling around in our heads that we can't seem to fashion a poem for. In the next exercise we will post that title here. I will then randomly assign two members to write a poem for one of the titles. the purpose of this exercise is to show that a title can actually lead in many different directs. But for now just mull your orphaned titles around so you will be real.....stan

I have been led to understand that there are places to go on line where one can find titles. What do ya'll think of the idea of using that kind of source?

Would Sparrow and Mark please post your poems whose titles you are not happy with now. Please post on stream with (titles shop) next to your original title. Thanks

Have ya'll ever had a title pop into your head then written an entire poem based on the title?

Things seem to be slowing down. So will all members who have Not posted their weak titled poems on stream please do so now. Be sure to put (title shop) next to your title so it can be easily spotted.Thank you

Let's all now post a poem here which you have come up with that needs a good poem to go with it. Don't post the title on stream.

"WHEN AN ILL WIND TURNS FAIR"

our own which uses a line from the poem for a title. Post it here and we'll all argue whether or not it works well or not lol

WHERE FENCES ARE BUT MEMORIES
Submitted by scribbler on Sun, 2012-07-15 20:15

These tall and somber gray pine trees,
I won't begin to guess how old,
whose tops, only, are moved by breeze
mask memories of tales untold.

The pines end where the slopes turn steep
change marked by ancient oaks and beech.
where squirrels play and tree frogs peep
on land unmarred by steel plow's reach.

Now and then a locust post
stands wrapped in an old root's embrace.
I've seen them once or twice at most,
it brings a wry smile to my face.

On closer look these virgin woods
reveal a world that used to be:
a chimney where a home once stood,
worn terraces for all who see.

Or here and there some cedars grow
thanks to birds perched on a vanished fence
perhaps a hundred years ago,
an edge within woods now grown dense .

Through such woods quiet voices drift
almost unheard on sylvan breeze.
They come here through some type of rift
where fences are but memories.

We need more titles to work with

BENEATH A HARVEST MOON
THE SCENT OF MUSCADINES

Who has not yet posted a title in search of a poem on this thread please do so now

In this one I will assign each member a pair of titles to choose from . They will then write a short poem (under approx. 20 lines) . Post this poem on line with (title shop) next to it and state who supplied title in author's notes.

Geezer, please choose one of the titles supplied by Rula. Write a poem and post it on line with (title shop) next to title.

Teddy would you please post a poem using one of my titles? Don't forget to put (title shop) next to title

Would you please post a poem using one of Geezer's titles?

please choose from Alan's titles and write a poem. Don't forget to put (titles shop) next to title

Titles from Lindame, tyro,Sparrow, Lavender. C lynn brooks and lovely. Just post 2 titles each on this thread

Lovedly, please write a poem based on Alan's title "Jack O' Box

Scribbler please write a poem using Teddy's title "On this lonely road I roam"

Titles from Lindame, tyro,Sparrow, Lavender. C lynn brooks and lovely. Just post 2 titles each on this thread

Geezer would you please submit a poem using Teddy's title "Birds Without Wings"?

In the last part of this shop I will submit some lesser known (I hope) poems by famous writers sans their titles. This will be done on stream. You will all then come up with a title for each poem . IF you recognize a poem just say so. DON'tT post the real title. When all poems have been given a title I will reveal the author's title and we can discuss if any suggested titles are better than the original and if so why. I'll start posting these poems on Sat. evening

Here is final assignment. I will make a blog post on stream titled "Prompts Via Titles" Now take your time but I want Two titles from each of you that are really good titles. These titles will become available to Anybody on Neopoet to use for a poem of their own. I think this will reveal which titles are the best by way of eventually seeing some title we posted being used by another site member.
I am now also gathering ideas Here about how this shop could have been better. Post these ides here. Thank you all for being patient and helping make this shop what it has been............stan