Emily Dickinson's Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

Emily Dickinson employs many poetic techniques in her relatively short poem “Hope is the Thing With Feathers.” First, the extended metaphor comparing hope to a bird drive the entire poem. This technique allows Dickinson to flush out her comparison with multiple points of support, from the way a bird sings to how it perches. This intense support not only makes her point undeniable, but also the detail makes the comparison and message more memorable. Dickinson also uses paradox when she says, "And sings the tune without the words.” This apparent contradiction causes the reader to mentally or even subconciously pause and ponder the meaning more. Additionally, the different rhyme schemes between the quatrains help to convey the theme that hope