Literature is a powerful art form, which like no other can provide its readers with a new perspective on their own life. However, to fully embrace the power and the impact that literature can have, a reader must possess certain reading skills to analyze the writing and identify the message, which can be read “between the lines”. Identifying a theme of the writing is one of the essential skills, which can be applied not only to the literature analysis but to everyday life as well.
First, identifying a theme of a given piece contributes to a better understanding of what other people are saying. For me, it was one of the most instrumental skills acquired from literature analysis. Of course, a speech gives much more information and context about a speaker via body language, tone, and facial expression. Yet, the deconstruction of one’s narrative allows me to uncover the things, which a person intended to get across with his or her speech.
Analyzing poetry and its themes is especially effective as it involves analyzing creative and unusual sequences of words and phrases that constitute the theme of a poem. Such deconstruction of literary devices, comparisons, and metaphors develops my imagination. I would choose the poem “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes. Through the lines such as “I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen” (Hughes, 1998), the theme of this poem can be identified as “racial justice” “oppression” or “black life in America”. This poem is precise and short, which adds to the impact it has on the reader. There is not much to explain as the case is obvious and the suffering experienced by Afro-American people is immeasurable. Therefore, in real life, I tend to pay very close attention to such short phrases as they can be insightful and emotionally charge, hence, it is important to understand its theme.
References
Hughes, L. (1998). I, too, sing America. I, Too, Sing America. Three Centuries of African American Poetry, 37-45.