Alliterative Titles

[wildsweetone]

do alliterative titles work for poetry, or is it just a journalistic gimmic?

 

[Rybka]

do alliterative titles work for poetry, or is it just a journalistic gimmic?

Alliteration can work as can several other word-play tricks. Whatever you do, it is very important to have a title that catches the casual readers' eye and make them want to read the body of the work. On Literotica, for instance, "Attack of the Killer Cunt" will draw more views than "Erotic Poem No. 3". (Of course on Lit. "*~Attack of the Killer Cunt~*" {parentheses included) would be even better because the "*~" would place it near the front of the erotic poems list, and as Senna Jawa has shown, the closer you are to the beginning of a list, the more hits the poem will get.

 

[Guest]

Hi wild and sweet.

Titles are a constant irritation for me. It's tempting to just use the first line and be done with it but I can't resist chewing on it. Some times something perfect pops up and actually adds to a poem.

As for aliteration, if it fits and doesn't come off as distractingly cute or forced, why not use it? Cute is a trap though.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I think it's more important if it will work for the poem at hand than if it will work as a good hook (which it probably will).

 

[My Erotic Trail]

hello wild,

I have written whole poems around a title and have written poems then decide a title. Some times the poem demands a branded name and others require a 'hook' ...rybka's right though, "killer cunts" gets them every time <grin

 

[The_Fool]

You know. The title is almost always the last thing I write on a poem. And quite often the hardest. I guess for the me, the title has to serve double duty. First, to catch the reader. Second, as a reminder to a repeat reader what the gist of the poem was. I hate titles.

 

[wildsweetone]

it's odd, since being in this poetry forum i've hardly written anything erotic. i guess 'Killer Cunts' would probably turn into some psychopathic murder poem. yick

Tess, titles and me just don't get along. i've no idea why. but i often find myself trying to hunt down a word or phrase from a poem to nail into the title.

Rybka, i am not interested in the top of the pops list here, not one bit. and i (as obviously you do) think the * and ~ are ridiculous. they remind me of the yellow pages and companies beginning AAAA1+ somethingorother. as a general rule, i ignore them.

Lauren, hooks and poetry? heck i'm still learning how to write the poetry, now i've got to dream up a hook of a title too? (nice to see you. hope you're doing okay *hug* )

MET, the word 'bruised' in a poem title got me an incredible amount of views, but i've decided there's only so many poems you can punch around like that.


it is beginning to look like this morning's poem has a rhyming title *shudder* sometimes i just don't believe what i'm seeing. i may need to work on that.

 

[wildsweetone]

You know. The title is almost always the last thing I write on a poem. And quite often the hardest. I guess for the me, the title has to serve double duty. First, to catch the reader. Second, as a reminder to a repeat reader what the gist of the poem was. I hate titles.

i hate them too. only because i haven't learned to live with them yet (if i ever do, it'll be a miracle).

actually, i like the second part... to repeat to the reader the gist. that bears thinking about.

somehow, titles for prose always seem much easier.

 

[Maria2394]

hello, WildSweet One

I love a good alliterative title. MOst of the time, my titles come first. i staill have apoem online here that had a pretty good title, well, I liked it anyway

here it is--

Hiding behind trees in December

 

[wildsweetone]

Hi Maria

i like the title and the poem. thank you for pointing me towards it.

your titles mostly come first? i'll be lucky if mine turn up by the end of the month after i've written the poems.

 

[Senna Jawa]

the title has to serve double duty. [...] Second, as a reminder to a repeat reader what the gist of the poem was. I hate titles.

No wonder.

 

[bogusbrig]

it's odd, since being in this poetry forum i've hardly written anything erotic. i guess 'Killer Cunts' would probably turn into some psychopathic murder poem. yick

I just get an image of this giant undersea killer clam swallowing me up.

I guess there is something Freudian there but best not to analyse it or maybe I'll just end up on a shrink's couch.

 

[wildsweetone]

I just get an image of this giant undersea killer clam swallowing me up.

I guess there is something Freudian there but best not to analyse it or maybe I'll just end up on a shrink's couch.

you haven't already?

 

[bogusbrig]

you haven't already?

I do like my straight jacket and padded cell but I somehow manage to alienate the shrinks.

I guess it must be a personality defect that does it but it could be my refusal to come down from off the ceiling.

 

[wildsweetone]

...

 

[wildsweetone]

No wonder.

got any good suggestions/ideas for how to come up with worthy titles?

 

[flyguy69]

got any good suggestions/ideas for how to come up with worthy titles?

JD4George once suggested that the title is often found in the second-to-last line of the poem.

What ever happened to him, anyway?

 

[Rybka]

JD4George once suggested that the title is often found in the second-to-last line of the poem.

What ever happened to him, anyway?

I don't know about the ulti-penultimate line, but the title can often be found within the poem. Start with your strongest line that deals with the poems theme (unless you are going for a surprise ending). If the line "as is" is not a good title try playing with variations. - For some reason, I am a better writer of short bursts of words, rather than lengthy thoughts. Consequently I tend to have a problem making the body live up to the title. Titles are usually easy for me.

 

[wildsweetone]

fly i don't know where JD4George is, sorry. and i've often found that my second to last line is the weakest line in the poem - so there, i've just learnt something i sub-consciously knew but wasn't ready to hear the in-your-face version. it sucks i realised it myself. lol

Rybka, you've given me food for thought. now, if i could just figure out what i was trying to say, i might get a head start. i'll definately think about this one. thank you.

 

[annaswirls]

okay every time I see this thread I read

"Alliterative Titties"

like bouncin boobs and the like.

 

[Tzara]

okay every time I see this thread I read

"Alliterative Titties"

like bouncin boobs and the like.

Oh, stop! Now I won't be able to read this thread correctly ever again. Ever!

Geez, anna.

 

[wildsweetone]

okay every time I see this thread I read

"Alliterative Titties"

like bouncin boobs and the like.

mine don't bounce when i sit and type. much.

and, i haven't named them either.

'bouncin boobs' - could be a poem title though...






She's so bad isn't she, Tzara?

 

[annaswirls]

Oh, stop! Now I won't be able to read this thread correctly ever again. Ever!

Geez, anna.

Ha! Welcome to my World!

I have some form of dyslexia that turns almost everything I see into something completely inappropriate. Think of the self-control I have to force upon myself! I used to get into such trouble at faculty meetings!

The other side effect is transposing numbers. Hence my inability to post many comments as it takes me several tries to get the code right.

Licence plate numbers. I make up little naughty sayings when I see them to match the plate.

like mine now is

LRB ??? and every time I see the plate I think Low Rise Boobs

and it used to be

HTF??? for Hot Time Fanny.



So Welcome to my World Mister Tzara. Enjoy your stay.

 

[The_Fool]

No wonder.

No wonder what?

 

[Tzara]

mine don't bounce when i sit and type. much.

Oh, thank you, WSO. That really helps with my concentration.

'Specially with that AV.

You two may cause me to switch the subject focus of my poems to Blaze Starr and Carol Doda.

Not that that would be any great loss to world literature.

Hmmm. Carol used to dance across the street from Ferlinghetti's City Lights Books. Oh, my! Makes me wanta Howl.

Y'know? Now it's dinnertime now and I just gotta have a tenderloin!

Funny how that works.