
VISUAL REFERENCE / 27 items
Themes, Symbols & Moods
Choose expression through a work's themes, meaning-bearing imagery and symbols, and the emotional mood of the scene as a whole.
Classification
The primary entry for central subject matter broadly addressed by a work, such as growth, family, travel, and hope.
A primary entry for symbolic or narrative meaning carried by concrete imagery, signs, and allegory.
A primary entry for the scene-wide emotional tone perceived from the combination of subject, environment, light, weather, and event.



A neutral stone against a plain background
Concept
Celebration theme
A narrative theme centered on sharing joy or an achievement through celebration.
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A neutral stone against a plain background
Concept
Coming-of-age theme
A narrative theme about a young person moving toward growth, independence, or a change of role.
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A neutral stone against a plain background
Concept
Conflict theme
A narrative theme centered on conflict between subjects, aims, or values.
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Valley with a river and mountain ranges
Concept
Dreamlike mood
An overall emotional atmosphere in which continuity, scale, or causality feels ambiguous.
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A neutral stone against a plain background
Concept
Everyday-life theme
A narrative theme centered on familiar and recurring activities or settings.
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A neutral stone against a plain background
Concept
Family theme
An inclusive narrative theme concerning the relationships and lives of people connected as family.
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An ordinary open landscape
Concept
Fantasy narrative
A narrative framework for a world or event that includes beings or occurrences beyond ordinary real-world laws.
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Valley with a river and mountain ranges
Concept
Festive mood
An overall emotional atmosphere that suggests liveliness and brightness.
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Valley with a river and mountain ranges
Concept
Horror narrative
A narrative framework organized around fear, unease, or threat.
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One person and rocky ground standing apart
Concept
Human-nature relationship
A narrative theme concerning relationships between people and natural environments or nonhuman living beings.
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Valley with a river and mountain ranges
Concept
Intimate mood
An emotional atmosphere suggesting psychological or spatial closeness and privacy.
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Valley with a river and mountain ranges
Concept
Lonely mood
An overall emotional atmosphere suggesting isolation or lack of connection.
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Valley with a river and mountain ranges
Concept
Melancholic mood
An overall emotional atmosphere suggesting quiet wistfulness or reflection.
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Valley with a river and mountain ranges
Concept
Memento mori
A non-graphic symbolic theme that evokes mortality and the finitude of life.
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Valley with a river and mountain ranges
Concept
Nostalgic mood
An overall emotional atmosphere that suggests a connection to the past or a sense of reminiscence.
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Valley with a river and mountain ranges
Concept
Ominous mood
An overall emotional atmosphere suggesting unease or an approaching threat.
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Valley with a river and mountain ranges
Concept
Playful mood
A scene-wide mood that suggests lighthearted playfulness or whimsical enjoyment.
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Two figures standing apart near a stone
Concept
Romance theme
A narrative theme concerning romantic attraction or a romantic relationship between people.
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A neutral stone against a plain background
Concept
Science-fiction narrative
A narrative framework that imaginatively explores science, technology, scientific hypotheses, or their social consequences.
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