Theme & Voice
These are two of the harder poetic devices to identify in a poem because they are more abstract. Rarely will you be able to find one line of a poem that simply states either the theme or the voice; instead you need to read the poem and look deeper to discover the theme and voice the author is attempting to portray in their poem.
Theme
The theme of a poem is the main idea that the author is trying to express. Some examples of themes are childhood, love, death, and war. Here's an example of a poem with the theme of war, although you could
also argue that the theme is death. That's what is so tricky about
theme: it's left up to your interpretation. The poem was written by John
McCrae during World War One after one of his friends died in battle and
he was asked to read something at the burial service, and it is called In Flanders Fields. Click on the image to the right of the poem to hear the poem read aloud.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. |
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Voice
Voice refers to the person narrating the story and their attitude towards whatever they are discussing. For example, the poem could be written in first person (where the author uses the word "I" or "me"), second person ( using the word "you"), or third person (using the words "he", "she", "it"), all of which describe the person narrating. However, the other part of voice is how the person feels about the subject they are talking about. For example, a poet could write a poem in the first person where that person really hates artichokes, or they could use the third person and the author could describe a character who looks up to President Obama. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem A Psalm of Life provides an example of voice. We know that it is written in the first person because he uses the word "me" in the first line, and by reading it we learn that the narrator believes life should be happy and fun, and they write the poem from that viewpoint. Click on the photograph of Longfellow to hear the poem read out loud.
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A Psalm of Life Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream! For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem. Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul. Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way; But to act, that each to-morrow Find us farther than to-day... |