Literary Theme Analysis
Humanities
Literary theme analysis on the given poem.
SAMPLE ORGANIZATION OF A THEME ANALYSIS
Introduction
A. Title of story, author(s) name(s)
B. Setting of story, basic situation of character
Aspects of the story that give the story meaning; here make explicit the elements of fiction (characters, symbols, setting and plot) that are unified to reveal the theme.
Your claim/thesis. This statement will answer the question “What is the theme of this story?”
Body
A. Point-by-point discussion of the subject. Remember that each paragraph has a topic sentence that forecasts the contents of that paragraph. Additionally, each topic sentence is logically related to the thesis/claim statement.
B. Direct quotations and passages from the story will support both the topic sentences and the thesis/claim.
Conclusion
A. A summation of the effectiveness of the techniques the author uses.
B. A statement about how the elements of fiction help to unify the story and give it meaning.
DO NOT PROVIDE JUST A SUMMARY OF THE PLOT. YOU MAY ASSUME YOUR READERS HAVE ALREADY READ THE STORY. You will, of course, need to cite evidence from the story, but this material will support a particular point you are making about the theme. You probably won’t at any point retell the story in the order you read it.
