Classic Examples:
* "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost: This title directly reflects the theme of choice and its potential consequences. The poem explores the speaker's decision to take a less-traveled path, and the title emphasizes the theme of divergence and the unknown.
* "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost: The title clearly establishes the setting and mood of the poem, which is about a moment of contemplation and the pull between the desire for solitude and the responsibilities of life.
* "Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats: The title explicitly reveals the subject of the poem: a nightingale and the speaker's passionate appreciation for its beauty and song. It also hints at the themes of beauty, transience, and the power of art.
* "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas: This powerful title, with its imperative tone, encapsulates the poem's central message: a fierce struggle against death and a desire to fight for life until the very end.
More Contemporary Examples:
* "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot: This title, though seemingly straightforward, hints at the poem's exploration of love, alienation, and the anxieties of modern life. The "love song" aspect is ironic, as the poem is more about the speaker's inability to express his feelings.
* "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath: The starkness and directness of the title immediately suggests a complex and emotionally charged exploration of the speaker's relationship with her father.
* "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth: The title directly reveals the speaker's state of mind and the poem's focus on nature and its transformative power.
Beyond these examples, many other poems offer titles that capture the essence of their theme. Here are some tips to identify these instances:
* Look for keywords that are central to the poem's subject matter.
* Consider the tone and mood evoked by the title.
* Think about the metaphorical or symbolic meanings of the words in the title.
By paying attention to the title of a poem, you can often gain valuable insights into its themes and central ideas.