Opening a Poem: The Power of the Title

People often say the first line of a poem is crucial for its opening—but really, it’s the title that first opens the poem to the reader. A good title can intrigue, startle, reassure, or entice the reader into the poem and its ideas, and in this workshop, we’ll examine titles that do all of the above and more. By reading poems from Richard Siken, Sharon Olds, Tiana Clark, and others, we’ll explore the ways a title can shape and open a poem, and then experiment with our own titles. Participants will be asked to bring one completed poem (titled or untitled) to the workshop, but will also spend time writing during the workshop. If you’ve ever struggled to title your poems or just want to think more deeply about various ways to approach a poem’s title, this workshop is for you! 

Instructor

Griffin Rockwell is a queer poet who often writes about gender, science, pop culture, and unusual connections. Xe is the author of the chapbooks listen— (Interstellar Flight Press), body in motion (perhappened press), and Lexicon of Future Selves (VA Press). Their work has also appeared in AGNI, Okay Donkey, Santa Fe Review, Poet Lore, Whale Road Review, HAD, and elsewhere. They earned their MFA at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and their MLitt at the University of Dundee. Find xer website and socials at https://linktr.ee/griffinrockwell.