"They say the test of literary power is whether a man can write an inscription. I say, 'Can he name a kitten?'"

This quote by Samuel Butler is an amusing method of saying that the true test of an individual's literary power is not their capability to compose an engraving, however rather their capability to come up with an innovative and distinct name for a kitty. Butler is recommending that the ability to come up with a name for a kitten is a harder task than writing an engraving, and therefore a much better measure of an individual's literary power. This quote also implies that Butler believes that the ability to come up with innovative and special names is an important part of being an excellent author. He is recommending that the capability to consider imaginative names signifies a person's creativity and imagination, which are necessary qualities for an excellent author.