Poetry...

... is a wonderful thing, isn't it? So much information can be packed into a short piece. Even titles can be significant. Compare these three poems:

1. "The Cat" by Alan Parker (of RL)
2. "My Molly" by Ada Radius
3. "Midel's Gift" by me

In "The Cat", Parker picks up a stray, worm-ridden cat; he keeps it in quarantine; he doesn't even like cats, but yet something compels him to take care of this cat, to give it more space. The word "the" in the title conveys the feeling that the writer is trying to distance himself from the cat, emotionally (as opposed to "My Cat"); however, "the" is the definite article, which gives that particular cat a special identity -- it is not just any random cat (the title is "The Cat", not "Cats").
[Meroveus Merlin hates the "non-word 'the'", saying that it conveys no information whatsoever -- work this into the discussion] In contrast, Ada Radius' piece is a humorous, endearing sonnet about her own dog and its foibles. Finally, my poem could have been called "My Cat", or "Daisy", but I chose "Midel's Gift" (probably subconsciously) to emphasize that the "free little white cat" was a priceless gift that would remain with me (and even help to shape my identity) forever.