Closers and trailers

Encoding Instructions (new P5 version)

The closer element serves the same kind of function as opener, but at the end of a div rather than at the beginning. It groups together the elements which typically fall at the end of a textual division (especially letters), such as signatures, salutes, and dates. The significant elements it may contain are:

dateline

respLine

salute

signed

The WWP always uses closer when one or more of these elements is present.

Closers and trailers are fairly close in function, but not identical. The WWP defines the differences as follows:

closer is for things which are part of the form of the thing whose end is being marked: for instance, the closing salutation of a letter, the date or signature at the end of a poem.

By contrast, a trailer marks the end of the division itself--it is not part of the content of the section or division, but is rather part of its enclosure. Things which are typically encoded within trailer include words like “Finis” or “The End”, or any other statement of conclusion which appears at the end of a division, such as “Here ends the first Chapter” or “That’s all, folks”. Much less frequent, but illustrative: the word “Unfinished” following the end of an unfinished poem.