1. When the poem’s done, ask what emotion or idea it left you with.
2. See if the title can amplify that idea—not echo it.
3. Try out a few extremes: a one-word abstraction, a whole sentence, or a joke that’s maybe not a joke.
4. Read the poem again with each title. Notice what changes in your interpretation.
5. You can also try starting with a title and see where that takes you.

the dishes stayed in the sink for three weeks
stinking
more than the silence that refused to percolate
my morning coffee

I wanted you to know
how beautiful the fire looks
from outside the house

1. Boil your anger for a decade
2. Gather all the names he called you
3. Wrap them in foil
4. Bury them in the yard
5. Sprinkle liberally with lack of forgiveness
6. Reduce heat; simmer for a lifetime

The preacher called him a loving man,
except the widow, who only smiled
with confidence.

the poet was found
with a metaphor
pressed between pages
like contraband

we are permitted fifteen minutes
to scream into the breakroom sink
before returning to email pleasantries

Cooper taught the boy to lie
about how fine everything is.
Now
every
thing
is
broken—
and he's just a boy.