A theme can be a musical composition.
Originating from the Latin thema , the term theme has several uses and meanings. The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) recognizes no less than nine.
A theme can be considered the subject of a work or a speech. For example: "In his latest novel, the Chilean author addresses the issue of abandoned children" , "The conference will address the issue of import restrictions" , "What will be the topic of your next essay ?" .
Another use of the concept refers to the various units that make up an educational program : "The teacher told us that the next topic we will study will be the history of the city," "Of the ten topics we saw in the semester, I only understood three." "Tomorrow I will take an exam on this topic."
The notion of theme in music
The word theme, on the other hand, is usually used as a synonym for a song or musical composition : "My favorite Beatles song is Hey Jude" , "This is the main theme from the movie Titanic" , "Do you want to listen to a song that I composed recently? .
As far as music theory is concerned, the theme is the central melody around which all the music of a composition revolves. In some cases it is repeated or variations are created on it, but it is not strictly necessary. This central melody is usually used even in other compositions; such is the case of "The Six Variations of the Ruins of Athens in D Major, Opus 76" by Beethoven.
Research and thesis
A research topic , meanwhile, is the question that captures the attention of scientists when carrying out field work.
Upon completion of a university degree, students must present a final work, which is called a thesis . It must address a particular topic; that is, having a topic and developing it in detail. It cannot be chosen at random, it is necessary to ask why and why we will talk about it.
The theme of a book is the subject on which its content revolves.
To choose the appropriate topic for a thesis, it is necessary to take into account that it must resolve some concern that the student has; In addition, it must be related to the job for which you have been preparing during those years of study.
To make the decision, it is advisable to consult with the advisor that the University has assigned to the student, who will be able to guide you not only to choose the appropriate topic, but also to carry out the work in an orderly and effective manner. It is also usually interesting for the student to study a method or form of work that is normally used in their area and break it down to the point of finding those problems that it may present and devise a more efficient way of working.
It is essential that before beginning it is clear how the topic will be discussed and what subtopics will be covered; It is better to write about a few points and develop them deeply than to point out too many and not detail more than a few of them.
Topic in linguistics and literature
In linguistics , the theme is the fragment of a word that remains unchanged during declension. The last letter of the theme, whether a vowel or a consonant, is responsible for determining the inflection paradigm in which the verb or noun is framed. It should be noted that, when a language evolves, certain changes can occur in phonology that modify the theme.
In literature, the theme of a work does not imply the only topic that will be discussed in it, but rather it will be the nucleus around which the story will develop. For example, in the work "Tears in the Rain" by Rosa Montero, it could be said that the central theme is the sudden death of replicants due to the artificial alteration of memories; However, other topics are also discussed such as death, pollution, speciesism, the pain of loneliness and the injustices that govern the life of almost all societies.