Page 3 Theme

"The Circle Game" and "Song of the Dream People" both deal with the effect of time and growing older and its effect on our dreams.

The message or main idea of a poem is a theme, which presents an insight about human nature and society.


Read the theme song of the movie The Titanic "My Heart Will Go On" below.

 

"My Heart Will Go On"

Every night in my dreams
I see you, I feel you,
That is how I know you go on

Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on

Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on

Love can touch us one time
And last for a lifetime
And never let go till we're gone

Love was when I loved you
One true time I hold to
In my life we'll always go on

 


A theme is not a topic...



Paige listened to "My Heart Will go On" and wrote:
  • "I know the song is about the Titanic, but I think the song has meaning for everyone because it is also about love. "

Paige identified the topic in the poem - love - but not the theme. The main idea of this poem is about love.

However, a theme can never be expressed with just one word. "Love" is not a theme; " Love" is a topic.

A theme is not a moral...


What ideas does the poet suggest about love?
Sometimes, it is tempting to try to sum up a theme using a cliché or a moral.


Tyler listened to "My Heart Will Go On" and wrote:

  • "The meaning of this song is that one can fall head over heels in love. The speaker in the poem is saying ' I love you more than life itself'."

Tyler is a bit closer to a statement of theme than Paige but "falling head over heels in love" is not clear. What does that have to do with me and my life?

A poet or song writer's goal is to express an idea of a common topic, in an original way.

A Theme Is...

Theme is sometimes called the "unifying" concept of a piece. 

 To unify means to join or bring together.

  • The theme must be the idea that combines all the elements of a song or poem. It brings together sound patterns, imagery, and figures of speech.


  • Maria focused on the lines " Love can touch us one time / And last for a lifetime" and wrote that these lines best express the theme of the poem.

  • Paige revised her theme statement and wrote " the special beauty of a moment can last forever."

In the movie, when Rose met Jack, he changed her world. She was still thinking of him as her one true love, when she was in her 90s.



Effective Theme Statements


The students wrote the following two theme statements for "My Heart Will Go On."


  • Unexpectedly sometimes, a key individual has a significant effect on a person's life.
  • Meeting someone significant can affect a person's life forever.



  Please contact your teacher if you have questions.