Literary term?

[bella_rina]

hi
hopefully someone can help me- i am searching for a literary term. the definition is of a over arching theme or idea in poetry. for example in wordsworth's the silent reaper where the girl in the feild is used as a catalyst or a diving board (for lack of better term) for wordsworth to introduce the theme of poetry (through the nightingale image)
so the over arching theme is poetry and its process...is there a literary term for this? i'd hate to use 'over arching' or 'diving board' in an essay i have to write

thanks
laur

[chasestalling]

how about gist?

[NDL]

First of all, Wordsworth wrote "The Solitary Reaper,' not "the silent reaper," which would be difficult, since she is singing. Sorry to nitpick. It's one of my favourite poems so I feel a little possessive. You could use terms such as motif, but why not call a spade a spade and call it the main theme? It is only overarching if it overarches, and it might not. The main there could break into minor themes, stanza by stanza. It might even be implied rather than expressed. I wouldn't get too worried about technical terms. Spell out what you mean if you can't find the term. I wouldn't use imagery such as 'diving board.' That just creates more layers of meaning. What would consider the main there of "The Solitary Reaper?" Perhaps the sheer enchantement of music?

[rintrah]

"You could use terms such as motif"

Actually a motif is a recurring element, and is not really the same as a theme or schema, which is the central idea that gives unity to the piece. It could be said that a motif features within the framework of the theme, which acts to control the overall direction of the work.

Sorry if I'm splitting hairs.