Here's a breakdown:
* Theme: The central message, idea, or insight that the poem conveys. It's the underlying meaning that the poet is trying to communicate.
* Subject: What the poem is literally about (e.g., love, nature, war).
* Topic: A broader category that the subject falls into (e.g., relationships, the environment, human conflict).
Think of it this way:
* Subject: The "what" of the poem.
* Theme: The "why" of the poem.
For example:
* Subject: A lost love
* Theme: The pain of loss and the difficulty of moving on.