CLASS: SENIOR ONE
COURSE CONTENTS
UNIT I: INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY GENRES: FICTION AND NON-FICTION
UNIT II: INTRODUCTION TO PROSE: PLOT, SETTING & CHARACTERS
UNIT III: INTRODUCTION TO POETRY
UNIT IV: THEMES AND MESSAGES IN POETRY
UNIT V: LANGUAGE USE IN POETRY
UNIT VI: INTRODUCTION TO DRAMA
UNIT VII: KEY ASPECTS OF DRAMA
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UNIT IV. THEMES AND MESSAGES IN POETRY
IV.1. DEFINITION OF A THEME
A theme can be explained as follow:
A theme is an opinion expressed on the subject.
It is what a poet is saying about a certain subject.
It is the central/ main idea of the poem.
It is the poet’s opinion or perspective about a certain issue in society.
It the controlling idea which is continuously developed throughout the poem.
Themes can be about friendship, love, good vs bad, loneliness, grief,…..
IV.2. DEFINITION OF A MESSAGE
A message can be explained as follow.
A message is what a poet what a poet wishes the society to learn from his/her poem.
It is the kind of a lesson that the reader learns after reading the poem.
It is the moral in the poem.
It is something the poem aims to teacher the reader.
It is the lesson the poet wishes the society to learn from his/her poem.
Messages can be about respecting elders, not fighting, caring for your loved ones,…
IV.3. TYPES OF THEMES AND MESSAGES
The two types of themes and messages are: – Hidden, Fully stated
Hidden themes/messages
Hidden themes or messages are the ones which are hidden. They are implied or communicated indirectly or suggested. To get them, the reader has to use his/her intelligence and analysis. They are also called implicit messages/ themes.
Fully stated themes/messages
These are the themes or messages which are stated or communicated directly or clearly. The reader does not have to analyze the poem to find them. They are fully and clearly expressed leaving nothing implied. They are also called explicit messages/themes.
The following steps can help you to discover the theme and messages:
Take the name of the poem (title) into account.
Try to understand the subject matter of the poem
Summarize the poem in few words.
Find the topic or big idea of the poem.
What the poet is telling you by wring that poem
Which things does the topic tell you that are important to learn about life.
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