Comments on: Poetry Book Titles: a Quick, Fun Poll for Everyone

By: Deb

Deb — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:34:08 +0000

Fun to stew over this.

I was tempted to make the titles all of poems. Delicious, all. I’m not counting, but I think I turned 3-4 prose titles into poetry.

I think I will write that poem about swans. Just to try it out.

By: Robert Peake

Robert Peake — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:49:57 +0000

“Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal.” T.S. Eliot.

By: Paul Fericano

Paul Fericano — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:03:45 +0000

I loved this, Robert. My brain has been wired into poetry so long that all these titles sounded like poetry titles to me. In fact, many sounded like titles I’d give my own poems. The prose titles are so good I’m thinking of stealing them and writing a new poem for each one. Nice going!

By: barbara

barbara — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:50:39 +0000

Since I was 50/50 on most of them, and forgot what I chose, the only one that surprised me, really was the jewish porn. sounds like something they would spotlight on the Daily Show

By: Robert Peake

Robert Peake — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:50:15 +0000

Hey! I’m partly responsible for your blond-ness…

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:48:17 +0000

Leave it to your blond sister to be the other wrong vote for Carnivorous Boy, Carnivorous Bird being prose! :/

By: Robert Peake

Robert Peake — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:29:27 +0000

So I tainted the results by voting a couple times–but I made sure to vote all correctly once, and all incorrectly the second time. Still, on the one question where you see only one dissenting vote, that’s not legit–everyone so far got that one right.

Isn’t it amazing how a poetic mindset can make something like “Pocket Guide to Emergency Bicycle Repair” seem like such a great book title? Already I’m off on section titles, poem topics–fascinating.

By: Robert Peake

Robert Peake — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:08:38 +0000

Plenty more votes and the popular vote is still at 60% accuracy. So far at least one non-poet reports following the popular vote to end up with inaccuracies on both sides. I think poets, however, who have more exposure to contemporary poetry book titles, may end up thinking they ALL sound like good poetry book titles, which is fascinating. And, if you think they’re all trick questions, I can see how you’d have a low score. There’s no right or wrong–it’s really just an experiment in consciousness, and already I’m seeing some interesting trends. Hope you all are having fun–that’s the point!

And, once again, poets are commenting on the CAPTCHAs. Which may mean this little exercise has put them in a poetic frame of mind. Jolly good.

By: Abby Murray

Abby Murray — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:28:23 +0000

I hate feeling dumb this early in the morning.

But I’ve read some of these! Great titles, too.

Thanks for the quiz!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:17:29 +0000

Great fun. Really depends on who you poll. I found all of them to be clever titles for books of poetry. That’s the trouble with poets. We watch the world through these eyes and find poetry damn near everywhere. My next collection simply must be “Pocket Guide to Emergency Bicycle Repair.” Fabulous!

By: Matt Pitcher

Matt Pitcher — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:42:32 +0000

wow, i suck. 25%. thought some were tricks.

By: Dana

Dana — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:29:32 +0000

How can there be any right or wrong when we’re just going by what a title sounds like, not what it actually is? Hmm?

My Captcha is “inanely is.” That’s a good description for my essence.