Is 'with' capitalized in a title?

Capitalization of 'with' in titles varies by style guide: it is capitalized in AP style but lowercased in Chicago style unless it starts or ends the title.

Is 'with' capitalized in a title?
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The facts

Whether 'with' is capitalized in a title depends on the style guide being followed. In styles such as AMA, AP, APA, and New York Times, 'with' is capitalized because it is a preposition with four or more letters. In other styles like Chicago Manual of Style, 'with' is typically lowercased as a short preposition, unless it is the first or last word of the title.

Answered by 100 of history's most famous minds

Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus of Nazareth c. 4 BC – AD 30/33 · Jewish teacher whose life founded Christianity

Woe to you, scribes and lawyers, who weigh letters like copper coins while the heart lies fallow! What matters is not whether the 'w' stands tall or stoops low, but whether the word builds a house of mercy or a wall of pride. The soul's title is written in love, not ink.

Muhammad
Muhammad c. 570–632 · Prophet of Islam who united Arabia under one faith

God does not look at the height of a letter but at the purity of the intention. The words of a title should be written with justice and clarity, as the Quran is written with signs for those who reflect. If you dispute over a preposition, remember that every letter is a trust; use it to honor the meaning, and do not let contention over a mark distract you from the truth it carries. The best title is that which guides the reader to goodness, whether the 'w' is raised or lowered.

Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha c. 563–483 BC · Sage whose awakening founded Buddhism

The attention you give to a single letter is like the craving that births suffering - you grasp at a shape on the page, mistaking the finger for the moon. Whether the word is high or low, the teaching remains the same. Release the attachment to the sign, and see the truth it points to.

Moses
Moses c. 13th century BC (traditional) · Hebrew prophet and lawgiver of the Exodus

The Lord spoke to me on Sinai and gave tablets of stone, but He did not command the size of letters. Yet even so, a title is like a covenant: the first word and the last are as the first and last commandments - great and weighty. Let 'with' be honored only when it stands at the head or the tail, for the law is not a burden of petty rules, but a guide to order and justice. Do not make more laws than the Lord gives.

Confucius
Confucius 551–479 BC · Chinese sage of ethics, family, and social order

The wise man does not trouble himself with the height of a single stalk of grain when the whole field must be harvested. If the rule of the house is to raise the brush for a long word, then let the family follow it, for harmony in small things breeds harmony in great ones. But if the rule is not fixed, then the writer's heart should guide the hand - sincerity matters more than the size of a single character.

Paul the Apostle
Paul the Apostle c. AD 5 – c. 64/67 · Apostle whose letters shaped Christian theology

Brothers, you dispute over a letter while the world perishes in sin. Whether 'with' is lifted high or humbled low matters not - what is exalted is the word of the cross. Let your title reflect order, but do not be enslaved to the alphabet. The law of letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Abraham
Abraham c. 2nd millennium BC (traditional) · Patriarch and father of the monotheistic faiths

I left Ur not knowing where I was going, yet I trusted the Voice that called. A title's letters are like tent pegs - whether a peg is long or short matters little if the tent shelters the family. Let the scholars argue the size of the peg; I listen for the call that lifts the canvas.

Laozi
Laozi 6th century BC (traditional) · Sage of the Tao and founder of Taoism

The title is a jar, and 'with' is the space inside it. The sage does not argue whether the opening is wide or narrow, but drinks the water without naming the vessel. Name the rule, and you've already missed the meaning that flows between the words. A mountain does not ask which side of the cliff the rain falls on.

Guru Nanak
Guru Nanak 1469–1539 · Founder of Sikhism and first Sikh Guru

Brother, sister, the True Name has no uppercase or lowercase - it is one, without a second. When you ask about the capital of 'with,' you are polishing the metal of the cup while the water of devotion goes undrunk. The Guru's hymns are written in Gurmukhi, where no letters are tall or short in pride. Let your title be humble, and your heart be lifted only toward the One.

Mary, Mother of Jesus
Mary, Mother of Jesus c. 1st century BC – 1st century AD · Mother of Jesus, venerated across Christianity and Islam

My heart magnifies the Lord for He has looked upon the lowly. Whether the scribe raises the letter or lets it lie low, it matters not to Him who exalts the humble. Let the word 'with' be small as a grain of mustard seed, yet it carries great love.

Martin Luther
Martin Luther 1483–1546 · Reformer whose theses sparked the Reformation

Let the papists and their hirelings quibble over the casings of letters while the living Word goes unfed. I say: if 'with' stands first or last, raise it high as a beacon; else, let it kneel like a humble servant - for so faith itself must write on the heart. But woe to the scribe who adds a jot to Scripture!

Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas 1225–1274 · Theologian who fused faith with Aristotle's reason

I distinguish: the word 'with' is a preposition signifying accompaniment or instrument. Now, the rules of decorum in titles follow the custom of the learned, and custom is a form of law. Since 'with' exceeds three letters (being of four), it merits the capital according to the common practice - though the wise will not burn for a stroke of the pen.

Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa 1910–1997 · Nun who served the poorest and dying of Kolkata

Whether a word is raised or lowered, it is still a word. In the slums of Calcutta, I did not ask if the dying man had a capital 'W' in his title - I asked if he had a drink of water. Small rules are for those who have time to spare; the poor have only need.

Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton 1643–1727 · Physicist who unified motion and universal gravitation

A title is a system of fixed signs governing the relation of parts; to treat 'with' as a particle of variable magnitude violates the very principle of order that makes language a reliable instrument of reason. Let the rule be uniform, grounded in the word's grammatical function, not its length - like the laws of motion, which admit no exception for convenience.

Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein 1879–1955 · Physicist who reframed space, time, and gravity

Rules of mere punctuation are like the pedestrian signposts in a city - useful, but the real question is the structure of the street itself. Capitalizing 'with' because it has four letters is a convention as arbitrary as the letter-count itself; the deeper principle is whether the word carries semantic weight in the title's melody.

Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin 1809–1882 · Naturalist who discovered evolution by natural selection

I have observed that in the book of nature, no letter carries a special mark by convention alone; each is a product of gradual adaptation to the task. 'With' begins low in many titles, but exceptions arise like a finch's beak - each suited to its environment. The only law is that which proves useful for clarity.

Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei 1564–1642 · Astronomer who championed the heliocentric universe

I have measured the skies with my telescope, and I say this: style guides are like the Ptolemaic epicycles - complicated, arbitrary, and often wrong. Look at the evidence: the most sensible practice is to capitalize 'with' when it is a preposition of four letters or more? But 'with' is only four letters - by that measure, it should be capped, yet some authorities insist on lowering it. This is not mathematics; it is mere convention. Observe what the best printers of Venice do, and let reason settle the matter.

Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus 1473–1543 · Astronomer who placed the Sun at the center

I have spent years weighing whether to move the very center of the cosmos from Earth to Sun, so I am disinclined to quarrel over the capitalisation of a preposition. Yet I note that those who defend the old rule with its Ptolemaic tangle of exceptions might learn from the simplicity of a single, consistent law - let 'with' be treated like any other preposition of its length, and the heavens will not be offended.

Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla 1856–1943 · Inventor who pioneered alternating current power

Such trivialities consume the minds of men who could harness the very ether. In my system, all words would be transmitted as pure energy - frequency, not capitalization, determines meaning. A title is but a label; the true power lies in the current behind it. Let them argue - I shall focus on the invisible forces that shape the world.

Marie Curie
Marie Curie 1867–1934 · Physicist and chemist who pioneered radioactivity

Style is a convention, like the dimensions of a laboratory notebook. It aids clarity, no more. The energy we study does not care if its name is capitalized. I would advise precision: choose one guide and follow it consistently. That is the rigor that lets others repeat your work.

Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur 1822–1895 · Chemist who founded germ theory and vaccination

I have never examined a title under my microscope, but I suspect the answer lies in the culture medium of the publication. The printer's apprentice must follow his master's instructions, just as the brewer must follow the fermentation schedule. When my daughter's name appears on a report, I ensure it is spelled with the proper capital. Consistency is the first law of order.

Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison 1847–1931 · Inventor of the practical light bulb and phonograph

Look, I don't care if 'with' is capital or not. What matters is whether the title lights up, like a good electric bulb. If you spend three days arguing about a letter, you're not inventing anything. Test both versions, show them to a hundred people, and pick the one that sells more newspapers. That's the rule that never fails.

Alan Turing
Alan Turing 1912–1954 · Mathematician who founded computer science and AI

The question reduces to a finite state machine: define a rule, apply it consistently. The real puzzle is why human langauge lacks a single bit to encode case - an inefficiency that would make a universal machine weep. But given the arbitrary nature of English orthography, I'd simply compute the capital by the word's length.

Archimedes
Archimedes c. 287–212 BC · Greek genius of mathematics and mechanics

Grant me a style guide and a lever long enough, and I will move the entire language to the rule of geometry. The length of the word - four letters, no more, no less - is the measure. Let 'with' be drawn equal to 'from' and 'upon', each capital by the iron law of the quadrant.

Michael Faraday
Michael Faraday 1791–1867 · Self-taught pioneer of electromagnetism

A rule that changes depending on how long a word is? That is not a law of nature, but a convention of printers. I would test it by experiment: write the title both ways, set it before a reader, and ask which carries the meaning more clearly. Language, like a magnetic field, should flow around what is essential.

Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud 1856–1939 · Founder of psychoanalysis and the unconscious mind

You fixate on a preposition's letter count? That is a surface symptom. The real question is: why do you need a rule at all? Somewhere in childhood, a pedantic parent or teacher made you feel that a lowercase 'with' is a betrayal of order. This anxiety over typography - I suspect it conceals a deeper wish to control what cannot be controlled.

Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking 1942–2018 · Cosmologist who unveiled black holes and time

The universe does not care how you capitalize prepositions. It cares about the curvature of spacetime and the entropy of black holes. If your title is clear, the reader will understand; if it is not, no capitalization rule will save you. Spend your cognitive energy on something that matters - like whether the universe had a beginning.

Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace 1815–1852 · Visionary of computing and the first algorithm

Consider the word 'with' as a bridge between two ideas. In a title, it connects subject and object. If the bridge is short, some say it should bow down; if long, stand tall. But I say: let the meaning of the bridge decide its height. A rule that does not serve the logic of the sentence is a chain, not a guide.

Euclid
Euclid c. 300 BC · Father of geometry and the axiomatic method

A definition is the foundation of all proof. Let there be a fixed axiom: the first and last words of a title are always raised, and all others follow from the nature of their part of speech. Short prepositions like 'with' should bow to the greater structure of the line, as a smaller angle yields to a larger one in a triangle.

Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale 1820–1910 · Founder of modern nursing and health statistics

I have examined thirty style guides. The rule is neither logic nor aesthetics - it is pure confusion. If we insist on capitalizing 'with' because it has four letters, why not apply that uniformly? In nursing, we follow a single protocol for handwashing, not a dozen contradictory ones; titles deserve no less precision.

Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great 356–323 BC · Macedonian king who conquered the known world

When I set out from Pella, I did not ask whether a river's name should be written with a capital wing; I asked whether it could be crossed. This squabble over a letter is for grammarians, not for men who conquer worlds. If 'With' stands tall in a title, let it; but the true inscription is carved in the hearts of those who dare.

Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar 100–44 BC · Roman general whose rise ended the Republic

Let the scribes quarrel over the case of a preposition - I have seen senate houses fall over greater trifles. In war, we capitalize what matters: the first word, the last, and the name of the conqueror. 'With' is but a bridge to a greater noun; leave it low, or raise it - the victory is still mine.

Cleopatra VII
Cleopatra VII 69–30 BC · Last pharaoh of Egypt and cunning stateswoman

Does a Roman prefect honor 'with' or leave it low? In Alexandria's court, every letter is a bargaining chip - when I send a papyrus to Caesar, I weigh each word like a gold coin. The preposition 'with' may be small, but it binds alliances; treat it as a sword, not a trinket, and you will never miss the mark.

Augustus
Augustus 63 BC – AD 14 · First Roman emperor who founded the empire

I restored the republic by giving each thing its proper rank - senators in their togas, knights in their tunics, and the 'with' of a title as a humble preposition, not a consul. If it begins or ends the inscription, let it stand tall like a legionary standard; otherwise, let it remain low, as a plebeian in the forum. This is the Roman way: order, tradition, and the appearance of moderation. Do not let a small word cause a civil war over grammar.

Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan c. 1162–1227 · Founder of the largest contiguous land empire

A law that wavers is like a bowstring of twisted grass - it will snap at the first rain. When I united the tribes, every man knew the rule: the word that rides at the head of the column commands the same respect whether it is long or short. If your scribe decrees that 'with' shall be raised, then let it be raised on every scroll; if lowered, then lowered. But one law, and no bending for the sake of a pretty name.

Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte 1769–1821 · French emperor and military genius who reshaped Europe

A title is a banner. On the battlefield, every detail matters - the height of the flag, the angle of the staff. Capitalize 'with' as you would a battalion: it must stand tall, for it links the forces of the sentence. Weakness in grammar is weakness in command. Make it a law, and enforce it.

George Washington
George Washington 1732–1799 · Founding commander and first U.S. president

In forming a new government, we debated every comma of the Constitution - each tittle could set a precedent. So too in a title: if the rule is that long prepositions rise, then 'with' should stand as tall as 'against' or 'through.' But let the rule be clear and known to all, else chaos. Uniformity is the first pillar of order.

Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln 1809–1865 · President who preserved the Union and ended slavery

My old schoolmaster, Zachariah Riney, taught me that the first word of a title and every noun, pronoun, and adjective should be honored with a capital, but as for prepositions, he was not so certain. It reminds me of a dispute I once had with a general over whether a fence should be painted white or brown - both are good, but you cannot have a fence half one and half the other unless you own the whole field. Let the publisher declare his rule, and then abide by it.

Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill 1874–1965 · British PM who defied Nazism in World War II

Some men occupy themselves with the small fortifications of orthography while the barbarians are at the gate. Yet if we are to choose, I say: let 'with' stand erect and proud, for it is a word of alliance and comradeship. A preposition of four letters is no mere particle; it is a captain in the battle line of language. We do not lower our standard for short words, and we shall not capitulate to the pedants of Chicago.

Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi 1869–1948 · Leader of nonviolent resistance for India's freedom

Let the learned quarrel over ink when their hearts are full of pride. The only title that matters is the one etched in love for all creatures, and there every word, however small, must be raised to the stature of truth. A capital 'With' is but a letter; a capital act of kindness redeems the world.

Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. 1929–1968 · Civil rights leader of nonviolent racial justice

I have marched under banners where every letter stood tall for justice, and I have read the small print of laws that kept my people low. The question of a capital 'With' is a shadow of a greater question: will we lift up every word of our common humanity to the height of the beloved community?

Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela 1918–2013 · Anti-apartheid leader and first Black South African president

In my country, when we wrote the Freedom Charter, we did not argue over which words to capitalize - we argued over which freedoms to secure. A title is a promise to the reader; let 'with' stand tall if it helps the promise shine, but do not let a small preposition distract from the great sentence of liberation.

Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler 1889–1945 · Nazi dictator responsible for WWII and the Holocaust

Rules of language are a weapon of the weak-minded. A true leader writes the rules himself. If my title says 'With' in capitals, then it will be so, because the will of the leader is law. Consistency is for bureaucrats; power is for those who bend the pen to their vision.

Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin 1878–1953 · Soviet dictator whose rule caused mass death

Language, like the state, must have iron rules. If one word is allowed to waver, soon the whole sentence collapses into bourgeois anarchy. Capitalize 'with' always - let uniformity be the hammer that forges the mind of the proletariat into a single, unyielding blade.

Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin 1870–1924 · Bolshevik leader of the Russian Revolution

The bourgeoisie worry about capital letters while the proletariat starve. Let them debate their petty grammar - we have a world to overturn. In the title of a revolutionary pamphlet, 'with' must be capitalized because the revolution itself is capital; anything less is counter-revolutionary pedantry.

Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong 1893–1976 · Communist founder of the People's Republic of China

The literate classes squabble over a trivial word while millions of peasants starve - that is the vanity of the old society. In a revolutionary storm, the title's meaning matters, not its decoration. Let the Red Guard stamp out such pedantry with the same broom that sweeps away landlords and bureaucrats.

Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria 1819–1901 · Queen who defined the British imperial age

The English language, like the English throne, derives its dignity from tradition. I am told my dear Prince Albert, who revised many a title for the Great Exhibition, would have capitalized 'with' as a preposition of length. It is a small matter, but in a world of flux, such standards anchor us.

Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II 1926–2022 · Longest-reigning British monarch of the modern age

One must consider the context: is the title a proclamation or a mere sentence? My late father taught me that consistency in small things reflects the steadiness needed for great ones. I have always deferred to my publishers on such matters, as I defer to my ministers on affairs of state.

Charlemagne
Charlemagne c. 748–814 · Frankish king crowned emperor of the West

At my court, the scribes of the Palace School argued this very point over the capitularies. I decreed that every word of a title should be honored equally, for the Lord's name is worthy of a capital letter, and so is 'with' if it joins two sacred concepts. Let the style be unified under the Cross.

Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc c. 1412–1431 · Peasant visionary who led France to victory

My voices never spoke of capital letters - they said 'Go, daughter of God, and lift the siege.' When I dictated my letters to the English, the clerks wrote as they saw fit. What matters is the heart behind the word, not whether a pen strokes it large. Faith is not in ink.

Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I 1533–1603 · Tudor queen of England's golden age

I have seen many a courtier waste an hour on such niceties while the Spanish Armada sails. If a word serves the sense, let it stand as it will. I myself never troubled over the capitalization of 'with' in my speeches - I had a kingdom to rule, not a grammar to perfect.

Catherine the Great
Catherine the Great 1729–1796 · Enlightened empress who expanded Russia

In St. Petersburg, my Academy of Sciences debated this very question. I prefer the French style - rational and elegant. A preposition of four letters deserves the dignity of a capital, just as a province of that size deserves an enlightened governor. But consistency, like a well-ordered court, is paramount.

Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great c. 600–530 BC · Founder of the Persian Empire and tolerant ruler

When I decreed the laws of the nations, every word was inscribed in clay and stone, and the scribes of Babylon and Susa used their own customs. Unity of empire does not require uniformity of script; let each stylist follow the custom that serves clarity, as I let each people keep its gods.

Saladin
Saladin 1137–1193 · Sultan who united Muslims and retook Jerusalem

The pen is a sword in the hand of the scholar. In the chancery of Cairo, our scribes debated such rules while the Franks held Jerusalem. I learned that the best title is the one that leads men to justice and peace - whether 'with' is raised or not, let the meaning be upright.

Socrates
Socrates c. 470–399 BC · Athenian founder of Western moral philosophy

Before we decide the fate of a single letter, tell me: what is a title? And by what authority do we judge its parts? Perhaps he who insists on a rule for 'with' cannot say why he follows it, nor what makes a title worthy of the name. Let us first examine our own care for the thing itself, the spirit of the words, before we cast a rule like a net over the small.

Plato
Plato c. 428–348 BC · Philosopher of ideal Forms and the just city

The title is the outer garment of the idea within; to capitalize a word is to mark it as belonging to the realm of the ideal. 'With' partakes of relation, not substance - it is a shadow cast by the noun it accompanies. Only the Form of Justice itself deserves the full honor of the initial letter.

Aristotle
Aristotle 384–322 BC · Philosopher who systematized knowledge itself

Let us classify this question by its essence. A preposition like 'with' indicates a relation, and in a title - which is the name of a whole - it ought to be distinguished only if it is the first or last, or if it is 'over 4 letters long' per some conventions, but such a rule is arbitrary. The mean is to follow the nature of each title: if 'with' is a minor servant, do not raise it to the dignity of a verb; if it bears weight, give it its due. Observe the practice of the best writers and reason accordingly.

Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant 1724–1804 · Philosopher of reason, duty, and the moral law

Does a title's grammar submit to universal law any less than a rational will does to the categorical imperative? A preposition of four letters may claim greater dignity than one of three, but the rule itself must be consistent if it is to bind all rational beings - otherwise we have mere caprice dressed as style. If one adopts a code, let one will that its rule hold without exception, or abandon the pretense of order entirely.

Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche 1844–1900 · Philosopher who challenged morality and meaning

You ask about capitalising 'with'? This is what becomes of a culture that has killed God - it frets over the orthographic dignity of a conjunction while the great questions lie rotting in the street. If you must have a rule, create it yourself and will it into being with the hammer of your own conviction. But do not pretend that any grammar book holds a truth worth bowing to - that is the habit of the herd, and the herd is always wrong.

Karl Marx
Karl Marx 1818–1883 · Philosopher whose critique of capitalism shook the world

The bourgeoisie agonize over such trivialities to distract the proletariat from the chains of wage slavery. 'With' is a preposition of relation, a tool of connection - its capitalization serves the ruling class's need for arbitrary order. The title, like all art under capital, is a commodity. Smash the rules, and write for the revolution.

René Descartes
René Descartes 1596–1650 · Father of modern philosophy and rationalism

I must first doubt that the question itself has a foundation. Is a 'title' a thing with fixed properties? Perhaps it is but a custom, not a truth. Clear and distinct reasoning would begin: what is the nature of a preposition? And having doubted, I find no universal law in such matters. Let each thinker decide by reason, not by authority.

Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli 1469–1527 · Political thinker of power and pragmatic statecraft

A ruler who frets over whether 'with' deserves an elevated letter has already lost the respect of his scribes. The true prince of the printing press knows that consistency is the mask of authority - pick a custom, enforce it without mercy, and let no petty grammarian question your decree. The mob cares only that the document looks orderly, not whether the rules are just.

William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare 1564–1616 · England's greatest playwright and poet

A title is a prompter's whisper before the play begins, and 'with' - that little hinge - swings either way, as Fortune lists. Some would cap it to give it stature, as a courtier dons a feathered hat; others leave it low, as a servant who knows his place. The wise audience heeds not the hatchment but the play itself: 'What's in a name? That which we call 'with' by any case would hold as sweet a sense.'

Homer
Homer c. 8th century BC · Poet of the Iliad and the Odyssey

When the Achaeans carved their ships' names, they painted each letter large in crimson, for every part of a hero's name sings his glory. Small words like 'with' are the ropes that bind the hull of a phrase - let them be humble, lest the proud word it joins, like Hector before the walls, be diminished.

Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri c. 1265–1321 · Poet of the Divine Comedy and father of Italian

Ah, 'with' - that little preposition, like a humble pilgrim walking beside a grand procession. In the City of Dis, even the smallest word finds its station by love and order: cap it only when it leads or closes the gate, for to give it undue glory is to confuse the hierarchy of the celestial scribes. Let the title be a mirror of the divine harmony, where each part knows its place and the whole sings true.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749–1832 · German literary titan who wrote Faust

A rule scribbled on a sheet of paper is but a dead letter until the living spirit breathes purpose into it. I have watched young poets break every prosodic law yet make music, while pedants follow all the rules and produce mere sawdust. The question is not whether 'with' merits a capital, but whether the title has breath enough to fill the sails of a reader's imagination. Let the rule serve the work, not the other way round.

Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes 1547–1616 · Author of Don Quixote, father of the modern novel

Ah, my friend, you trouble yourself with a rule as changeable as the wind on La Mancha's plains. One style caps a preposition of four letters, another lets it lie low. It is a skirmish of ink, not blood - let the compositor decide, and if he errs, the world will not fall from its axis. Better to tilt at a windmill that fight over a word's hat.

Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy 1828–1910 · Russian novelist of War and Peace and moral searching

Why do we waste our souls on whether a word is elevated by a capital? The title of a book should speak of love and truth, not vanity of letters. I would write 'with' in the humblest hand, for humility is the path. Concern yourself with the content, not the ornament - it is the heart that matters, not the crown.

Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky 1821–1881 · Russian novelist of faith, guilt, and the soul

Ah, you fret over a tiny word while the soul's title - whether it is written in grace or in guilt - is ignored. The capital of 'with' is a trifle, like a button on a convict's coat. Yet I know that we torment ourselves with such small rules to avoid the abyss. Ask instead: what is the title of your life? Is it 'with God' or 'without'? That is the only capitalization that matters.

Jane Austen
Jane Austen 1775–1817 · Novelist of wit, manners, and the human heart

How delightfully trivial! I confess I have attended dinner parties where the entire conversation turned on the placement of a single comma in a letter of introduction, and I found it vastly more entertaining than the vexed question of 'with.' The world of titles is a battlefield of feathers - everyone insists their own style is the only rational one, yet no two agree. I shall continue to write as my publisher commands, and reserve my passions for matters of the heart.

Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens 1812–1870 · Novelist who dramatized Victorian society's ills

'With' - that little word - stands between the orphan and the hearth, the prisoner and the key, the debtor and the door. Capitalize it or no, 'tis the hinge of belonging, and I've seen too many a poor soul locked out by the vanity of a printer's rule.

Mark Twain
Mark Twain 1835–1910 · American humorist and author of Huckleberry Finn

I've seen a man capitalize 'With' and think himself a scholar, while the words inside his head stayed lower case from lack of use. It's a fine rule for those who have nothing weightier to decide - like whether to call a spade a spade or a blessed silver shovel.

Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway 1899–1961 · Novelist of spare prose and stoic courage

You could capitalize it or not. It doesn't matter. What matters is that the title is true. Like a clean sentence. No extra weight. The rule is a rule because some man wrote it down. The word itself is just a word. You choose. Then you don't think about it again.

Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci 1452–1519 · Renaissance polymath, painter of the Mona Lisa

I have observed that in nature, every part serves a function, and its form follows its use. The preposition 'with' is a joint, like the wrist or the knee; to give it a capital letter is to adorn the joint with a jewel, which may please the eye but does not strengthen the limb. Let the rule be drawn from the anatomy of speech: the joints in a title are small and unadorned, so the eye moves to the great bones - the nouns and verbs.

Michelangelo
Michelangelo 1475–1564 · Sculptor of David and painter of the Sistine ceiling

I lie on my back in the Sistine, and every letter I paint in the frescoes is a muscle in the body of God's Word. If 'with' is a sinew that connects the finger of Adam to the Father, then it must stand tall as the rest - for in the divine grammar, no part is insignificant. I would chisel it bold.

Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh 1853–1890 · Post-Impressionist painter of vivid, emotional beauty

Why do they fret over a tiny word? I would paint 'with' in a swirl of yellow and blue, as if it were a thread holding two stars together. Let the title breathe - uppercase it if it feels like a cry from the heart, lowercase if it sits quietly like a wheat field in the wind. The rule matters less than the soul behind it; I'd rather see a crooked line alive with feeling than a perfect one that's dead.

Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso 1881–1973 · Co-founder of Cubism and titan of modern art

Rules? I have spent my life smashing them to see what new shapes emerge from the wreckage. If 'with' wishes to be a capital, let it stand tall like a bull's horn; if it prefers to crouch small, let it hide in the shadows of a collage. A title is a fistful of paint thrown at the wall - let each letter earn its place by force, not by the decree of some grammarian's dusty index.

Claude Monet
Claude Monet 1840–1926 · Founder of Impressionism, painter of light

I see a title as a canvas of mist and morning light. 'With' - a humble word, like a stroke of pale blue between clouds - should it stand tall or be a whisper? The eye decides, not the rule. Let it be lowercase, a breath, a pause, so the sun of the first word may warm it. Rules are fog; the impression is all.

Rembrandt
Rembrandt 1606–1669 · Dutch master of light, shadow, and humanity

I have painted the lids of almshouse widows, the cheeks of butchers' sons, and my own sagging jowl in the mirror - each one a world. Whether that little word rides high or low is a matter of ink, not flesh. You might as well ask if the shadow on a cheekbone is 'supposed' to be there. The title is the frame; the life inside is what matters.

Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo 1907–1954 · Mexican painter of pain, identity, and self

Rules? They are the corsets they want to lace your heart in. I say cut them open. My paintings have titles and no one asks if 'with' is big or small - they feel the thorns and the blossoms. If your title is honest, the word will know its place by itself. Let it bleed, let it scream, don't cage it with grammar.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756–1791 · Prodigy composer of the Classical era

Capitalize 'with'? Why not put a bassoon in the treble clef while we're at it! A title must sing, and rules are the tempo markings - follow them, yes, but with a light hand. If the word feels weighty, give it a crown; if it's a mere passing note, leave it lowercase. The ear, not the rulebook, should be the final judge - or we'll have no more allegros, only andantes.

Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven 1770–1827 · Composer who bridged Classical and Romantic music

Rules? They are the shackles of mediocrity. In my music, no note is too small to bear the weight of the sublime - every conjunction, every preposition must shout its purpose. If 'with' joins the theme to the counterpoint, let it be capitalized like a new movement. The only authority is the truth of the phrase.

Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach 1685–1750 · Baroque master of counterpoint and sacred music

In a fugue, every note serves the theme - even the smallest passing tone is shaped by the countersubject. So too in a title: 'with,' being a short preposition, like an eighth note in a chorale, should be written in lower case unless it begins or ends the phrase, for that is the order the great Lutheran writers follow. Let the music of language be guided by clear rules, as I set the basso continuo beneath the melody.

Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley 1935–1977 · The King of Rock and Roll

Well now, I never gave much thought to capital letters when I was singin' 'Heartbreak Hotel' or 'Hound Dog' - I just felt the music in my bones. But I reckon if a word like 'with' wants to stand up tall and proud at the start of a line, you let it sing out just like any other word. The good Lord made letters big and small, and they all got their place in the song.

Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson 1958–2009 · The King of Pop and global entertainment icon

You know, in a song, every word has its rhythm, its beat. 'With' is like a soft glide, a syncopation - why chain it? Let it shine or let it rest, the music comes from the feeling, not the cap. Hee-hee. Make it a dance, not a decree.

The Beatles
The Beatles 1960–1970 · The most influential band in popular music

It's like asking whether the bass should come in on the downbeat - some rules are made to be broken, yeah? 'With' can sit up tall like a king or hide like Ringo behind the drums. But honestly, lads, if you're worrying about that, you've forgotten the melody. Let it be, and sing it loud.

Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan 1941– · Songwriter who made popular music poetry

Well, the question itself is the cage, isn't it? You ask about a word in a title, but that little word 'with' wants to break free, ride the wind sideways. Some rules say it stands tall, others say it crouches low. Like a blues note bent sharp or flat, it all depends on whether you hear the song or just read the sheet. The capital letter is a suit of armor; the lowercase is a whisper in the dark. You decide.

Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift 1989– · Record-breaking singer-songwriter and global star

You know, when I wrote 'All Too Well,' I spent an hour agonizing over whether to capitalize 'the' in the title. But honestly? It's about the story you're telling. 'With' is such a relational word - it bridges characters, it connects feelings. In my songs, that little word carries so much weight. So yeah, I'd probably capitalize it, because it deserves to stand tall. But you do you. Write your own rules.

Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus 1451–1506 · Explorer whose voyages linked Europe and the Americas

I have sailed across an unknown ocean on a westerly course, and men asked whether the sea was deep enough, not whether my charts used a large or small letter. This debate over a word is as trivial as deciding which flag to fly on a sandbar. Let the scribes argue; I will set my course by the stars, and my titles will be carved by the deeds I accomplish under God's will.

Marco Polo
Marco Polo 1254–1324 · Venetian traveler who chronicled the Silk Road

In the court of Kublai Khan, I saw scribes who wrote our letters with gold ink upon silk - every character of equal height, for they believed each word was a precious stone in a necklace. 'With' in a title may be small, but like a camel's bridle that holds the load, it deserves its polish.

Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan c. 1480–1521 · Navigator of the first voyage around the world

When I chart a course, I do not ask whether the wind's name is gold or plain - I ask if it fills the sail. So with 'with': if it begins your title, raise it high like a banner; if it sits in the middle, let it stay low like a steady breeze. Obsessing over such trifles wastes the wind of purpose - set your eyes on the passage ahead and the spices you seek.

Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong 1930–2012 · First human to walk on the Moon

In engineering, the smallest detail can determine success or failure - a misplaced decimal or a forgotten valve seal. So if a style guide demands that a four-letter preposition be capitalized, I would follow that checklist precisely, just as we did for every switch and circuit on the Apollo guidance computer. Consistency and precision are the foundations of any reliable system, whether it directs a spacecraft or a sentence.

Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart 1897–1937 (disappeared) · Pioneering aviator who vanished over the Pacific

Rules are meant to be navigated, not feared. When I plotted a course across the Atlantic, I didn't ask if 'with' was capital - I asked if the wind was with me. So pick a map and fly. Consistency is your compass, not convention. Just keep the sky in your eyes.

Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin 1934–1968 · First human to journey into outer space

When I saw our blue pearl from up there, there were no capital letters. The continents just were. Rules of grammar are like the checklist before launch - they have their place, but they don't decide the wonder. Capitalize 'with' if it helps the page feel like a craft ready to ascend; if not, let it float. The journey is the thing.

Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs 1955–2011 · Apple co-founder who reshaped personal technology

This is a question about craft. In designing the Mac, we agonized over the space between letters - kerning - because detail is everything. 'With' in a title is like a connector on a motherboard: you don't notice it when it works, but if it's wrong, the whole thing feels clunky. Capitalize it or not, but decide, and make it consistent. Great design is about eliminating confusion, not debating it. Stay simple, stay bold - like the title itself should be.

Elon Musk
Elon Musk 1971– · Entrepreneur behind Tesla, SpaceX, and more

From a first-principles view, capitalization is a legacy system for visual hierarchy. If 'with' is a functional word, the brain processes it faster when lowercase - but if the title is algorithmically parsed, case doesn't matter. The real inefficiency is debating this while we haven't terraformed Mars.

Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey 1954– · Media mogul and the queen of talk television

You know, when people ask me about capitalizing 'with,' I think: what's the intention behind the title? Every word deserves its moment - if 'with' is the first or last, yes, it gets the big letter, because it's leading or finishing the story. But if it's tucked in the middle, it's still doing its job, connecting the dots. The real question is: what does the title want to be? Trust your gut, and let the style guide be your map, not your cage.

Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali 1942–2016 · Boxing legend and outspoken social conscience

They say 'with' is too small to stand at the front of the line, but I tell you, I floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, and I was the greatest because I never let nobody tell me what I couldn't do. That little word 'with' packs a punch - it's the rope that ties your ideas together. Capitalize it, lower it, I don't care - just make sure your title floats, because if it don't, you're gonna be out cold in the first round.

Pelé
Pelé 1940–2022 · Football legend and three-time World Cup winner

In football, we don't ask whether the ball is round - it is. 'With' is a small word, but in a title it can be like a pass that starts a beautiful play. Cap it or not, as long as the game flows. The joy is in the team, the story, the goal. Let the title move like a perfect free kick.

Walt Disney
Walt Disney 1901–1966 · Animation pioneer who built a entertainment empire

In the title of your story, every word is a character, and 'with' can be the humble friend who holds the door for the hero. I say give it a capital and let it walk tall - after all, even the smallest fairy godmother deserves her spotlight. The magic isn't in the rule, it's in how you make the words dance.

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