Schoolchildren in literature classes are often giventask at least superficially analyze the poem, to better understand its meaning. The overwhelming majority of students perceive the request to do this analysis as an attempt by teachers to give the most unnecessary task that one can think of. However, such a task not only broadens the mind and improves the ability of schoolchildren to think, but also develops creative abilities.
Peculiarities of perception
The theme and main idea of the poem is differentpeople can be defined in different ways, and the differences in interpretation are sometimes simply overwhelming. Of course, some teachers work strictly according to the textbook, so the student’s attempts to explain the verse are somehow perceived in their own way as a whim and unwillingness to observe the sacred standard. Such educators should remember the main goal of education: first of all - to teach the child to think, not to cram and repeat what “smart people” once said. And we cannot even speak of a single opinion in such a field as literature.
Concept and its assistance in determining the theme
It is noteworthy that not every literature teachercan easily explain what the theme of the poem is. In the lyric works there is a very thin line between subjectivity and objectivity, and therefore the definition of this concept should sound as simple as possible so as not to confuse the student even more. Defining a topic in literature is a very sensitive issue that has always been relevant. This is exactly the case when many people can say “I understand, but I cannot explain.” And what about those who do not even understand? It is believed that the main theme of the poem is determined by analyzing its concept sphere, but this approach is too complex to be presented at school. Anyway, it is he who is the most objective. The reader identifies the first five or seven associations that arise when he reads the work, and then searches the text for the words that have caused these associations. And the image that will “pick up” the most words will be the theme of the poem.
Postmodernism and the problem of finding meaning
We can say that the concept - this isboth the theme and the main idea of the work. Literary scholars sometimes even present the conceptual sphere visually in the form of a “web”, in the center of which the most powerful, basic concept is located, and all other associations are located along the entire periphery. This design allows you to most clearly imagine the structure of the poem and select all the stylistic tools used by the author to create a certain atmosphere. However, after such an analysis, students may not understand what the theme of the poem is. Especially often questions arise when analyzing poems of a controversial nature relating to postmodernism, where the emphasis is on figurativeness and emotionality. To analyze the works of this direction is generally very difficult, regardless of the form of the narration. The theme and idea of the poem in this case will be very vague, multifaceted, if the author himself does not explain them in the epigraph or explanation in a footnote.
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The main difference between lyrics and prose: lack of rhyme
The explanation given above is good at understandingwhat is the theme of the poem, but not too deep into its hidden meanings. Still, poetry is a very delicate matter, and emotional author’s metaphors can be disassembled for hours before their true meaning is comprehended. Lyrics differ from the main mass of prose precisely in that the authors use figurative stylistic means more often in it. This can be easily explained: in the lyric work the poet has less time to impress the reader, since the “rules” of the poem are, most often, several stanzas. The author needs to put all his thoughts and experiences into this volume, and stylistic means helps best to do it. Metaphors, allegories, hyperboles, allusions, as well as some phonetic techniques (assonance, alliteration) - all this adds figurativeness to the poetic work and enhances its emotional message.
Theme - the author's and subtle
It is noteworthy that in modern lyrics sometimesthe author himself does not know what the theme of the poem is. The poet simply writes what he feels, and hopes that he will be able to evoke the same feelings in the reader. Sometimes, due to excessive imagery, his work seems overloaded, and it is very difficult for the reader to understand these works. Even a hint of an idea is not always visible in them, even if the author has several successful collections behind him. In any case, the definition of the theme and idea of the poem is a very subjective matter. Students should not be scolded for the fact that in the love poem they saw a hint of hate, just praise them for their intelligence.