- 1the subject or main idea in a talk, piece of writing, or work of art North American literature is the main theme of this year's festival. The President stressed a favorite campaign theme—greater emphasis on education. The naked male figure was always the central theme of Greek art. The stories are all variations on the theme of unhappy marriage. Topic CollocationsLiteraturebeing 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/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/an article/a poem/a novel/a chapter/a passage
- review an article/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 phrase/a line/a stanza/a passage/an author
- provoke/spark discussion/criticism
- study/interpret/understand a text/passage
- translate somebody's work/a text/a passage/a novel/a poem
- 2(music) a short tune that is repeated or developed in a piece of music
- 3= theme music the theme from “The Godfather”
- 4(old-fashioned) a short piece of writing on a particular subject, done for school
- 5(linguistics) the part of a sentence or clause that contains information that is not new to the reader or audience compare rheme
Check pronunciation: theme