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Some of the Best Surprises Come First

Is it an ideal? 

A matter of nature? 

Nurture?

No. It's a title.

It's like a blurb--a sneak peek--but it's so much more. It forms the framework of the mind, or as psychologists may compare it to, the schema. Titles fit into a single phrase or even a single word, yet have the ability to transform our entire interpretation of a set of text. And it's fascinating- that one addition can change our entire perspective of a situation, a person, and, of course, a poem.

That's how we work. We tend to identify someone by a lasting impression. She could've been a friend for years, but if someone told me she did something wicked, I would be wary. This beach could be beautiful, but if someone told me there were chemicals embedded in the sand, I would be wary. Even political theories that I'm adamant about--I could easily become doubtful if someone dealt me new information. On the contrary, when someone informs me of new positive information, it goes beyond adding information. It opens my eyes and fascinates me. This person is so much better than I had thought! 

And like that, when a poem is, literally, altered ever so slightly by a select number of words, it becomes so much better than I had thought. It becomes a pleasant surprise and exceeds whatever low expectations we may have. 

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 1, 2021 at 4:51 PM

    Sabrina- this is fascinating. The way you enchantingly describe the significance of poetry titles- and all titles in general- is eloquent and captivating, exposing the often powerful undertones such works. You should be proud of yourself. Your writing has improved much since your time in my class. Great job! -Miss Ed Flight

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