THEME IN

POETR

Y

HO

W T

O F

I ND

TH

E T

HE

ME

OF

A P

OE

M U

SI N

G E

VI D

EN

CE

EXAMPLE 1

“ GR

OW

N U

P”

Starts off using his imagination to make up all kinds of cool stuff.

Stops pretending because of what other people say.

Misses old make believe games

Doesn’t always like being too grown up to play anymore.

The theme of “Grown Up” is that growing up can be hard for some kids. The author writes about how when he was a kid, he used his imagination to make up amazing adventures and abilities. Later, though, as he got older people kept telling him to “grow up” so he slowly stopped pretending. Now, as a grown up, the author states in the last stanza how he misses his pretend games.

TOPIC SENTENCE: States themeSUPPORTING DETAILS: Use evidence from the text

YOUR T

URN

Writ

e a

poem

with

the

sam

e th

eme

as

“Gro

wn U

p” ab

out h

ow it

can

be

hard

to g

row

up.

EXAMPLE 2

“ I F” B

Y R

UD

Y AR

D K

I PL I N

G

Lots of “if” statements that all seem to be good things.

HUGE CLUE!!!

The theme of “If” by Rudyard Kipling is how to live wisely. Throughout the poem the author talks about things such as keeping your head, having dreams but not letting those dreams be your master, and talking to crowds while keeping your virtue. I think all of these things are examples of being a wise person. At the end of the poem the author states that by doing all these things not only will you be successful, but you will also “be a man”. When he writes, “You’ll be a Man. . .” Kipling is talking about being a wise person, not just being older.

TOPIC SENTENCE: States themeSUPPORTING DETAILS: Use evidence from the text

YOUR T

URN

Writ

e a

poem

with

the

sam

e th

eme

as

“If”

abou

t what

it m

eans

to b

e w

ise.