Kansas City journal., 1898-03-13
THE NATTER OF CAPTION.

THE MATTER OF CAPTION.
Among all the human gifts there is moth
| ing more interesting than the power OF
| naming things. It was necessary from the
beginning to distinguish objects by word
| as well as by perception, and to seize upon
| their distinctive characteristics and supply
| definite nomenclature WAS a first great
step in mental and material progress. The
| force of reaction has left its indelible traces
upon the growth of every language. AS
knowledge of the world reached out to its
increasing limits new words and phrases
| were invented to meet each fresh demand,
and because of the surprising elements
| which enter into the English language its
| facility of definition and suggestion leaves
very little to desire.
Shakespeare asks too much of US when
he commands us to believe that there's
| nothing in name 1t is true that We
should not respond to the influence Of as
| sociation If the rose in the first instance
had been called by some other title, and
| the odor would be unchanged. But one can
imagine no other rightful designation for
defining word. 1t is the nearest speech
picture in tone and color OF those special
| flowers, and no one could improve upon it.
| So 1t is in nearly all the terms of common
| life-they have come into existence through
the sense of fitness, though some accident
al measure is sometimes responsible for
final form and acceptation. Yet it often
seems as IL words had fascination. and
| a force Of their own quite distinct from the
Office of nomenclature, and this is illus
trated every day in the world Of practical
affairs as well as in the realm Of artistic
n1ultifarious varieties know the realm Of
arresting and retaining the attention by
clever brands and trademarks, and the
artist who paints a great picture is doubIy
happy If the title he gives it conveys a
meaning exactly commensurate with his
work. And If 1t carry little more insight
| than the canvas at once suggests. it will
do him greater service with the large num-
bers of people who understand the alphabet
| better than they do the language of lines
| and pigments.
Every inventor. creator and purveyor
| feels the force of these naming necessities.
| and though so good an authority as Richard
| Grant White declares the use of the word
caption" to be "laughable and absurd
because 1t means "seizure-the act of TAX
| Ing" 1t is just this meaning which gives
| the matter its most subtle Importance. The
| title We give it must not only seize and
possess the production. but 1t must exert
| this same influence upon that various and
| changeable public which must consider it's
| merits. and pronounce upon It the final
practical judgment.
The mere reading Of a publishers cata-
logue always conveys, aside from any COM
ment that may be given, some definite per-
| ception of the books set forth. The line
| of separation between the departments
scarcely needs to be defined by the different
| headings. Poetry. fiction. history. travel.
| biography, have their own types and fig
ures. and though the phraseology is some
| times common possession. there is little
| danger of making a mistake. And when
| We come to the books upon the shelves,
| the words that define their form and spirit
| have a new significance. How gladly one
recognizes an old friend. even in the
! strangest guise. and how soon one de-
termines. by title and subdivisions, as
well az by letter-press. If he shall find
| what the moment demands. In volumes of
| poetry the index is usually mine of
wealth in itself 1t is better reading than
| the dictionary because one Is relieved from
| the prosaic element of definition. and the
| imagination can loose itself for quckening
| inquiry and pleasant self-conclusion.
In such consideration it is always patent
| that the woman's choice of caption differs
essentially from the mans. even as their
| two natures and creations differ and that
| the general character of the collected titles
is as definite and clear as the difference
between the authors themselves. One is
attracted here and there as by some magic
| music-poetasters know how to exert this
charm-but among the masters, perhaps
| Dante Rossetti is the richest in pure title
beauty. Take almost anything at random,
| .The Blessed Damozel." Autumn Idleness' -
| "Love-Sweetness" Gracious Moonlight, -
"Mid-Rap pture.' Parted Presence" and
there is a feeling of loneliness in it, a
| sense of possession and fascination which
| no analysis or exposition can express. We
expect the poems to intensity this impress
sion. and We are seldom disappointed. Ro-
setti's is hothouse atmosphere. but his
exquisite refinement might come. per-
chance, in no other way.
However this may be. because there is
nothing higher than the poetical form of
| expression, poetical caption. in whatever
phase it may be found, must give the larg-
est degree of growth and pleasure The po-
etical mode of seizure and Interpretation
is repeated and reflected in some sure sense
through the whole literary gamut Many
things define the source from which our
countless titles are drawn-earlier writer's,
historical records, treasures of legends,
present human intercourse, scientific won.
ders and the inexhaustible stimulus of ma
ture-yet whatever force directs adoption
or transmutation. the gift of making and
having things is the inmost law 1t is
full of that creative power which means
life.
Easy.
From the Detroit Free Press