A Huge List of Common Themes

Literature

Themes in literature are often varied and hidden. Sometimes you can get through an entire book
and not realize what the author meant. However, this is a good basic list that you can build from.
Remember that some books have multiple themes.

• Beauty of simplicity • Hazards of passing judgment

• Capitalism – effect on the individual • Heartbreak of betrayal
• Change of power – necessity • Heroism – real and perceived
• Change versus tradition • Hierarchy in nature
• Chaos and order • Identity crisis
• Character – destruction, building up • Illusion of power
• Circle of life • Immortality
• Coming of age • Individual versus society
• Communication – verbal and • Inner versus outer strength
nonverbal • Injustice
• Companionship as salvation • Isolation
• Convention and rebellion • Isolationism – hazards
• Dangers of ignorance • Knowledge versus ignorance
• Darkness and light • Loneliness as destructive force
• Death – inevitable or tragedy • Losing hope
• Desire to escape • Loss of innocence
• Destruction of beauty • Lost honor
• Disillusionment and dreams • Lost love
• Displacement • Love and sacrifice
• Empowerment • Man against nature
• Emptiness of attaining false dream • Manipulation
• Everlasting love • Materialism as downfall
• Evils of racism • Motherhood
• Facing darkness • Names – power and significance
• Facing reality • Nationalism – complications
• Fading beauty • Nature as beauty
• Faith versus doubt • Necessity of work
• Family – blessing or curse • Oppression of women
• Fate and free will • Optimism – power or folly
• Fear of failure • Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
• Female roles • Patriotism – positive side or
• Fulfillment complications
• Good versus bad • Power and corruption
• Greed as downfall • Power of silence
• Growing up – pain or pleasure • Power of tradition
 • Power of wealth • Self-reliance
• Power of words • Social mobility
• Pride and downfall • Technology in society – good or bad
• Progress – real or illusion • Temporary nature of physical beauty
• Quest for discovery • Temptation and destruction
• Quest for power • Totalitarianism
• Rebirth • Vanity as downfall
• Reunion • Vulnerability of the meek
• Role of men • Vulnerability of the strong
• Role of Religion – virtue or hypocrisy • War – glory, necessity, pain, tragedy
• Role of women • Will to survive
• Self – inner and outer • Wisdom of experience
• Self-awareness • Working class struggles
• Self-preservation • Youth and beauty

Movies

Movies generally have one or two themes, but not many more. The themes in movies are often
said outright instead of hinted at. Some of the popular themes from movies today include:

• Abuse of power • Darkness and lightness

• Arrogance • Death
• Art • Dedication
• Autonomy • Democracy
• Beating the odds • Desire to escape
• Beauty • Despair
• Beliefs • Disillusionment
• Betrayal • Economics
• Bible • Effects from the past
• Bravery • Empowerment
• Celebration • Everlasting love
• Chance • Evils by humanity
• Change • Facing reality
• Chaos and order • Failure
• Children • Family
• Circle of life • Fate
• Coming of age • Fear
• Common sense • Feminism
• Conservation • Freedom
• Conspiracy • Friendship
• Creation • Future
• Crime • Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and
• Courage Transgender rights
• God • Morality
• Good vs Evil • Nationalism
• Government • Nature
• Greed • Necessity
• Growing Up • Optimism
• Happiness • Neglect
• Hate • Normality
• Heritage • Opportunity
• Hero • Optimism
• Heroism • Overcoming
• Hope • Passion
• Humor • Patience
• Human Nature • Patriotism
• Identity • Peace
• Ideology • Perfection
• Ignorance • Peer pressure
• Illusion of power • Perseverance
• Individuality • Power and corruption
• Inner peace • Prejudice
• Innocence • Pride
• Isolation • Progress
• Jealousy • Purpose
• Justice • Quests
• Kindness • Race
• Knowledge • Reality
• Law • Redemption
• Leadership • Regret
• Liberty • Religion
• Life • Resistance
• Logic • Reunion
• Losing hope • Revolution
• Loss of innocence • Revenge
• Lost love • Sanity
• Love and sacrifice • Secrecy
• Loyalty • Segregation
• Man vs nature • Self-awareness
• Man vs man • Self-discipline
• Man vs self • Simplicity
• Man vs machine • Society
• Mankind • Social Construct
• Maturity • Solitude
• Medicine • Soul
• Mercy • Suicide
 • Survival • Vices
• Technology • Violence
• Temptation • Virtue
• Time • War
• Tolerance • Waste
• Travel • Wealth
• Trust • Wisdom
• Truth • Willpower
• Universe • Winning and losing
• Unselfishness • Xenophobia
• Valor • Youth

Poetry

Themes in poetry are often quite apparent, but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes the theme
doesn’t make itself apparent and is instead up to the reader. Reading a poem aloud often helps
with understanding the theme. Here are some examples:

• Adversity • Forgiveness
• Aging • Freedom
• America • Friendship
• Angels • Funerals
• Beauty • God
• Birds • Gratitude
• Change • Grief
• Childhood • Happiness
• Comfort after death • Hate
• Courage • Heartbreak
• Death • Heaven
• Deception • Hope
• Destiny • Humility
• Dying • Identity
• Depression • Imagination
• Dreams • Impossibility
• Dying • Innocence
• Earth • Inner Peace
• Emotions • Inspiration
• Encouraging • Jealousy
• Faith • Joy
• Fame • Justice
• Fate • Knowledge
• Fear • Life
• Flowers • Life – purpose of
• Love
• Marriage
• Memories
• Mountains
• Mourning
• Music
• Nature
• New Year
• Not Giving Up
• Oneness
• Opportunity
• Overcoming
• Pain
• Patience
• Peace
• Prayer
• Regret
• Revenge
• Roses
• Sadness
• Simplicity
• Sin
• Soul
• Stars
• Suffering
• Sympathy
• Time
• Trees
• Trust
• Unconditional love
• War
• Work