Definition and Examples of Titles in Composition

—In composition, a title is a word or phrase given to a text (an essay, article, chapter, report, or other work) to identify the subject, attract the readers attention, and forecast the tone and substance of the writing to follow. A title may be followed by a colon and a subtitle, which usually amplifies or focuses the idea expressed in the title. Examples and Observations It is important to know the title before you begin—then you know what you are writing about. (Nadine Gordimer, quoted by D. J. R. Bruckner in A Writer Puts the Political Above the Personal. The New York Times, Jan. 1, 1991)The title comes afterwards, usually with considerable difficulty. . . . A working title often changes. (Heinrich Bà ¶ll, interview in The Paris Review, 1983) Catching the Readers Interest At the minimum, titles—like labels—should accurately indicate the contents in the package. In addition, however, good titles capture the readers interest with some catchy phrasing or imaginative language—something to make the reader want to buy the package. Barbara Kingsolver uses the title, High Tide in Tucson to catch our interest: What are tides doing in landlocked Tucson, Arizona? Samuel H. Scudders title is a good label (the essay is about looking at fish) and uses catchy phrasing: Take This Fish and Look at It. (Stephen Reid, The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers, 2003) Tips for Creating Catchy Titles Titles catch the attention of readers and provide a clue to the papers content. If a title doesnt suggest itself in the writing of your paper, try one of these strategies: Use one strong short phrase from your paper Present a question that your paper answers State the answer to the question or issue your paper will explore Use a clear or catchy  image  from your paper Use a famous  quotation Write a one-word title (or a two-word title, a three-word-title, and so on) Begin your title with the word  On Begin your title with a  gerund  (-ing  word) (Toby Fulwiler and Alan R. Hayakawa, The Blair Handbook. Prentice Hall, 2003) Metaphorical Titles Is there a factor that above all others contributes to making a title intriguing and memorable? Ive studied the titles that have captured the public imagination during my lifetime. Add to The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, The Red Badge of Courage, and The Blackboard Jungle the following titles that almost everyone seems to like, and ask yourself what they have in common: Tender Is the NightA Moveable FeastThe Catcher in the RyeThe Grapes of Wrath All seven of these titles are metaphors. They put two things together that dont ordinarily go together. They are intriguing, resonant, and provide exercise for the readers imagination. (Sol Stein, Stein on Writing. St. Martins Griffin, 1995) Selling an Article or Book An effective title is to your article or book what a good preview of coming attractions is to a movie. It announces what your manuscript is about in such a way that it compels your reader to sit up and take notice. And if that reader is an editor who possibly will buy your material, an enticing title can open doors for you. (John McCollister, quoted by Jim Fisher in The Writers Quotebook: 500 Authors on Creativity, Craft, and the Writing Life. Rutgers University Press, 2006) Subtitles To the prospective reader, a subtitle is to a book what a carnival barker is to a midway: the step-right-up pitchman who peddles a mixture of awe, enlightenment and—no less important—bang for the buck. The marketing-savvy Galileo appended to his volume of heavenly observations, The Starry Messenger (1610), a prose banner that stretches nearly 70 words. In it, the Florentine astronomer promised readers great and very wonderful sights—the moon, sun and stars, literally—and even tossed in a paean to his Medici patron. Modern-day subtitles are generally shorter, yet they continue to tantalize us with invitations to learn the surprising secrets of Americas wealthy, tag along in one womans search for everything, or craft a life of well-being, wisdom and wonder. (Alan Hirshfeld, The Limit of Reason. The Wall Street Journal, May 3-4, 2014) Nick Hornby on the Lighter Side of Titles My advice to young writers: never begin a title with a preposition, because you will find that it is impossible to utter or to write any sentence pertaining to your creation without sounding as if you have an especially pitiable stutter. He wanted to talk to me about About a Boy. What about About a Boy? The thing about About a Boy . . . Are you excited about About a Boy? And so on. I wonder if Steinbeck and his publishers got sick of it? What do you think of Of Mice and Men? Ive just finished the first half of Of Mice and Men. Whats the publication date of Of Mice and Men? . . . Still, it seemed like a good idea at the time. (Nick Hornby, Songbook. McSweeneys, 2002) More on Composition Sentence Case  and  Title CaseWhich Words in a Title Should Be Capitalized?Lead