What is the theme for?

Answer 1

The central theme for the poem appears to be youthful regret, perhaps even time wasted. How many times, especially when young, do we say or do things that may be hurtful however we claim harmless fun? How often have we wanted to tell someone that they are special, important and valuable to us but we put it off because we believe we have all the time in the world? We take for granted that all will be as we hope and rarely learn how beautiful and fragile life is until we loose someone we love. The young narrator tells of incidents that most readers can relate to: careless driving, flirtations, general disregard for the feelings of others; all justified by us as the exuberance of youth. The narrator is not a 'bad'person; simply young and naive (the way we all want to be). References to Vietnam are poignant and there are few who cannot relate to the futility of this conflict and the impact it had on young lives. Perhaps the poet would like us to learn that we are mortal and that nothing lasts forever. We need to get over ourselves and appreciate what we have; it is perfectly OK to acknowledge someone who is important to us. It is a sign of strength of character not weakness to tell someone you love them; don't wait.