- the subject or main idea in a talk, piece of writing or work of art
- the central/main/key/major theme
- Births are a recurring theme in Leigh's work.
- Hot temperatures were a common theme over the past couple of weeks.
- theme of something The stories are all variations on the theme of unhappy marriage.
- North American literature is the main theme of this year's festival.
- The President stressed a favourite campaign theme—greater emphasis on education.
- The naked male figure was always the central theme of Greek art.
- Through sculptures Chen explored themes of illness, exile and cultural difference.
Collocations LiteratureLiteratureBeing a writer- write/publish literature/poetry/fiction/a book/a story/a poem/a novel/a review/an autobiography
- become a writer/novelist/playwright
- find/have a publisher/an agent
- have a new book out
- edit/revise/proofread a book/text/manuscript
- dedicate a book/poem to…
- construct/create/weave/weave something into a complex narrative
- advance/drive the plot
- introduce/present the protagonist/a character
- describe/depict/portray a character (as…)/(somebody as) a hero/villain
- create an exciting/a tense atmosphere
- build/heighten the suspense/tension
- evoke/capture the pathos of the situation
- convey emotion/an idea/an impression/a sense of…
- engage the reader
- seize/capture/grip the (reader’s) imagination
- arouse/elicit emotion/sympathy (in the reader)
- lack imagination/emotion/structure/rhythm
- use/employ language/imagery/humour/(US English) humor/an image/a symbol/a metaphor/a device
- use/adopt/develop a style/technique
- be rich in/be full of symbolism
- evoke images of…/a sense of…/a feeling of…
- create/achieve an effect
- maintain/lighten the tone
- introduce/develop an idea/a theme
- inspire a novel/a poet/somebody’s work/somebody’s imagination
- read an author/somebody’s work/fiction/poetry/a text/a poem/a novel/a chapter/a passage
- review a book/a novel/somebody’s work
- give something/get/have/receive a good/bad review
- be hailed (as)/be recognized as a masterpiece
- quote a(n) phrase/line/stanza/passage/author
- provoke/spark discussion/criticism
- study/interpret/understand a text/passage
- translate somebody’s work/a text/a passage/a novel/a poem
Extra ExamplesTopics Literature and writingb1- He gave a talk on the theme of teenage unemployment.
- His later novels develop the theme of alienation.
- Several familiar themes emerged from the discussion.
- The same themes run through all her novels.
- universal themes of love and loneliness
- The play touches on universal themes of loss and grief.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- basic
- central
- dominant
- …
- address
- continue
- develop
- …
- emerge
- run through something
- music
- song
- tune
- …
- on the theme of
- variations on a theme
- (music) a short tune that is repeated or developed in a piece of music
- The trumpets' theme is then taken up by the rest of orchestra.
- (also theme song, theme tune)[countable](also theme music [uncountable])music that is played at the beginning and end and/or is often repeated in a film, television programme, etc.
- the theme from ‘The Godfather’
- The film's haunting musical theme stayed in my head for days.
- He wrote and sang the theme to the hit TV series, ‘Minder’.
- His theme is played each time he appears on screen.
- (North American English, old-fashioned) a short piece of writing on a particular subject, done for school
- (linguistics) the part of a sentence or clause that contains information that is not new to the reader or audience compare rheme
Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin thema, from Greek, literally ‘proposition’; related to tithenai ‘to set or place’.
Check pronunciation:
theme