After reviewing your homework (the 5 poems you read and identified the theme or persona of each one, see post below) it seems that a little help may be in order.
What do we mean by THEME?
A theme is the central topic, subject, or concept the author is trying to point out, not to be confused with whatever message, moral, or commentary it may send to its reader (i.e., its inferred "thesis"). Theme is usually an implied common or cross-culturally recognizable idea. In other words it's usually about the human condition. When we identify theme, we should only look for the common human concept that a story deals with. We should not summarize or explain plot or the message of the story or poem.
The major themes in original writing include love, death, and life. These are pretty broad topics. That's okay when answering what the theme of a story or poem is. Starting with a theme is often helpful to a writer. If, for example, you choose the theme of aging (growing older or growing up), usually a story idea will accompany that. Once you start to explain what you as the author feel or want to say as a message about aging, then you have a moral, or the story's message. It's a subtle difference, but notable.
Some themes in YA fiction and literature for teens includes: acceptance, courage, perseverance, cooperation, compassion, honesty, kindness, loyalty, love, death, life, fitting in, maturing, etc.
PERSONA: In literature, the persona is the narrator, or the storyteller, of a literary work created by the author. The persona is not the author, but the author’s creation--the voice or mask “through which the author speaks.” In order to figure out what the persona is, a reader needs to find clues as to the personality of the speaker. Sometimes an author speaks in a female voice or male voice. Sometimes the author speaks in a jaded, sarcastic voice--other times he or she is completely trustworthy or naive. Some personae are strong willed, while others are shy and awkward. Just because an author's personality may be shy or hesitant, doesn't mean his or her characters or narrator's voice will be the same.
When writing it's helpful to remember that WHAT you write is not you! You have permission to make up all your characters and your narrator's voice. That's why the art is called creative. You are allowed to make it all up!
What do we mean by THEME?
A theme is the central topic, subject, or concept the author is trying to point out, not to be confused with whatever message, moral, or commentary it may send to its reader (i.e., its inferred "thesis"). Theme is usually an implied common or cross-culturally recognizable idea. In other words it's usually about the human condition. When we identify theme, we should only look for the common human concept that a story deals with. We should not summarize or explain plot or the message of the story or poem.
The major themes in original writing include love, death, and life. These are pretty broad topics. That's okay when answering what the theme of a story or poem is. Starting with a theme is often helpful to a writer. If, for example, you choose the theme of aging (growing older or growing up), usually a story idea will accompany that. Once you start to explain what you as the author feel or want to say as a message about aging, then you have a moral, or the story's message. It's a subtle difference, but notable.
Some themes in YA fiction and literature for teens includes: acceptance, courage, perseverance, cooperation, compassion, honesty, kindness, loyalty, love, death, life, fitting in, maturing, etc.
PERSONA: In literature, the persona is the narrator, or the storyteller, of a literary work created by the author. The persona is not the author, but the author’s creation--the voice or mask “through which the author speaks.” In order to figure out what the persona is, a reader needs to find clues as to the personality of the speaker. Sometimes an author speaks in a female voice or male voice. Sometimes the author speaks in a jaded, sarcastic voice--other times he or she is completely trustworthy or naive. Some personae are strong willed, while others are shy and awkward. Just because an author's personality may be shy or hesitant, doesn't mean his or her characters or narrator's voice will be the same.
When writing it's helpful to remember that WHAT you write is not you! You have permission to make up all your characters and your narrator's voice. That's why the art is called creative. You are allowed to make it all up!
No comments:
Post a Comment