Major and Common Themes in Literature

In modern literature studies, themes are a recurrent feature. A theme can be viewed as the central topic or central idea in a story. The themes of a story are usually derived from various earlier elements such as style, plot, language, and other aspects of the medium. However, the themes of a particular story will be determined by the intent of the author. Usually a writer will develop his or her main theme before writing a novel. However, even in this situation, the theme is still present in the plot.

A theme, in modern literature, is a recurring central idea, theme, or message in a story. The themes of literature can be divided into two major categories: the thematic idea of the story is what the story says about the external subject and the thematic statement is what readers ‘perceive’ the writer stating. A theme can also be developed around other elements. These elements may include the setting of the story, characters, dialogues, events, and so on.

The major themes found in most successful stories can be related to human interaction. Themes in a romantic novel are those that deal with love, passion, friendship, trust, and so on. When we are engaged in these activities, we tend to think or feel things in our mind that are similar to our interaction with others. Similarly, these themes make up the major themes of most successful stories.

Thematic elements in literature are also referred to as central themes or elements. Examples of thematic concepts in literature are fate, personality, power, and so on. Although they are called “themes”, these elements can be related to other elements as well. If an author wishes to develop a detailed theme, he or she can even draw inspiration from various literary works and then integrate these thematic concepts into the overall story.

An example of a major theme in literature is the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. In this poem, written by Edgar Allan Poe, a number of thematic statements are used to narrate a story about a sailor who experiences different kinds of transformations while at sea. The theme of the poem is the sea and its various denizens, but it can also apply to how people transform during their daily lives as well.

The most common themes in literature are those that have universal appeal. For example, love, tragedy, and death are among the most popular themes in literature. However, one has to be specific about which universal themes he or she wants to write about in order to come up with an interesting plot. Other examples of common themes in literature include animals, nature, human relationships, and others.