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Literary notes about theme (AI summary)

In literary discourse, the term "theme" functions as a central idea or subject that drives both narrative structure and critical reflection. At times it designates the primary focus around which an entire work is constructed, as noted when it is linked to foundational matters like empire and philosophy ([1], [2]). In other contexts, it is employed to capture a recurring topic or motif that threads through conversations and character interactions, revealing nuances of human temperament and societal issues ([3], [4]). Whether serving as the core subject of dramatic speeches or the motif that frames an intricate composition, "theme" remains a versatile concept that enriches the exploration of meaning in literature ([5], [6]).
  1. The theme of the Aeneid is the building up of the Roman Empire under this Providence.
    — from Helps to Latin Translation at Sight by Edmund Luce
  2. Yet this 'passion of the reason' is the theme of the Symposium of Plato.
    — from Symposium by Plato
  3. “No, Jerry, no!” said the messenger, harping on one theme as he rode.
    — from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
  4. I believe the theme of this incomprehensible conundrum was the moon.
    — from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
  5. It would have been too vast a theme, and not easily embraced in a single view.
    — from The Poetics of Aristotle by Aristotle
  6. No nobler theme ever engaged the pen of poet.
    — from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe

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