To every story, poem, or play we can always find a central idea or meaning. This theme provides a unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols and other elements are organized. In some works the theme is explicitly stated and in others it is the complete opposite. Jane Kenyon's Surprise and Flannery O' Connor's Revelation are closely related in theme.
             Jane Kenyon's poem entitled surprise is a poem encompassing ideas related to the progression of life. The overall meaning of the poem is that uncertainty exists throughout life among the domestic, daily routines, and the beauty of nature. Among the most prominent and important of these devices are the structure of the poem, the tone, and symbolism, which all contribute to enhancing and reinforcing her overall theme. The structure of the poem is important to the overall meaning in that it serves to captivate the reader with the promise of surprise. The two sentences are composed of an array of ideas separated by commas. This sentence structure reinforces the idea of the stages of life which are separated by commas. It is further reinforced by the period which marks the end. The entire poem is a combination of life and death. Springtime brings new life and with every birthday comes more wisdom. The symbol of springtime has cyclical implications. Life has various certainties and one of these is the movements of the seasons. However with each passing year, the progression to death is more evident. Similar themes can be present throughout all genres.
             Flannery O' Conner tackles the theme of life on a different level. In her poem Revelation, O' Conner uses a religious approach to appeal to life on earth and life after death. The use of figurative language is extremely instrumental in conveying one of the central themes in Revelation. For example, O'Connor makes reference to
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