Final answer:
The theme common to both poems includes an examination of love, death, and beauty that reflects on the complexity and universality of human emotions and experiences. Sixteenth-century poets used these themes to convey their unique perspectives while engaging with common human traits and providing insights into the human condition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Exploring the theme present in both poems, we can identify a deep exploration of human existence, particularly through the examination of love and how it reflects our shared experiences as humans. These sixteenth-century poets, even though they approach the theme in different manners, all engage in a dialogue about the essential human emotions and their implications on our being.
The poems use love, death, and beauty as central themes to emphasize the complexity and universality of human emotions. For instance, elegies serve to mourn and commemorate, displaying an awareness of writing within this tradition while treating it with variation. Mirror images are used effectively to deepen themes, such as the striking similarity between Roderick and Madeline, which intensifies the fatalistic atmosphere.
Additionally, the subjectivity of beauty and its recognition despite harmful contexts is highlighted, suggesting a universal capability to perceive beauty. This then ties back to the universality of human experience, as readers are invited to reflect on these themes and relate them to their own lives.