Hope Is A Thing With Feathers Essay

Emily Dickinson, was a poet during the end of the American romanticism era and the realist era. Literary romanticism is a form of writing with an emphasis on the individual's expression of emotion and imagination. Literary realism is sought to portray real and typical contemporary people and situations with truth and accuracy. Romanticism and realism are two opposites, but Dickinson is able to incorporate both styles in several different poems. According to Brenda Wineapple in Voices of a Nation poets were looking for “an idiom elastic enough to represent each singular individual, yet, somehow, include and symbolize all Americans”. Her poetry not only reflected her personal life, but it also reflected what was happening in the United States
in the nineteenth century. Poems such as “Hope” is the thing with feathers and The Soul Selects her own Society represents Emily Dickinson herself and symbolizes America as a whole. Dickinson creates her own idiom by using a unique writing style with elements from different eras to represent herself and Americans as a whole. Emily Dickinson wrote poems that were short and with a single speaker who does not necessarily represent her. The use of “I” could represent a group of people, or another person. This shows how Dickinson’s writing incorporated themes that would speak for a greater whole. Dickinson also used dashes instead of punctuation marks and also capitalized words in the middle of a sentence. This is something that was not done before her and it allowed for her to establish her own creative voice. Dickinson wrote about a variety of themes because of her life that was lived in seclusion. Dickinson wrote about themes such as nature, religion, self identity, and death. All of these themes are prevalent in not only Dickinson’s life personally, but America as well. The poems “Hope” is the thing with feathers (1861) and The Soul Selects her own Society (1862) were both written in the early stages of the civil war and after the end of the transcendentalism era which is then followed by romanticism and realism. These events in America and the events in Dickinson's personal life influence the themes that are present in her poems.
The poem, “Hope” is the thing with feathers compares hope with a bird. The bird is used as a metaphor to show how hope stays alive despite all the hardship one could go through. This theme was communicated through the poet’s use of personification and metaphors. Dickinson compares animate objects in nature to the feeling of hope. The theory that Dickinson was working from was romanticism. Dickinson used nature to develop emotion in her poem which is something that was evident during the romanticist era. Dickinson also used informal language, which could be do to her short educational career. Although this makes the poem easier to read, meaning is still developed with personification of the bird that “perches in the soul”, or the hope that lives within oneself.
The meaning behind “Hope” is the thing with feathers reflects how Dickinson could have gone through a tough time, such as the end of a special relationship.
However, not only does this poem relate directly to Dickinson herself, but also the American people as a whole. “Hope” is a thing with feathers was written in 1861, the year that marks the start of the civil war. During this time period, the majority of Americans were most likely looking for hope. Due to the fact that this poem was written during the romanticist era and the civil war, it was inspiring and the poem itself gave hope. This theme of hope never fading away is still prevalent today just as much as it was in the nineteenth century. This poem represents Emily Dickinson herself and the entire nation as a whole. When people are facing hardship they will turn to religion along with hope. This poem is certainly “elastic enough to represent each singular individual and yet, somehow, to include and symbolize all Americans.” (Wineapple) due to the fact that it relates a universal feeling with something in nature that can be seen by
all.
Another poem that reflects how the voice of American literature was being formed is The Soul Selects her own Society.
This poem reflects the importance of the ideas that are based off of transcendentalism and how the one has the option to do what they want. The title itself reflects the theme of individuality in the sense that the only person who can dictate what is right for someone is himself. It is argued that his poem was written when Dickinson decided to live a life in seclusion, therefore the meaning behind this poem in relation to Dickinson herself could be that it was her decision to live this way and it was what she wanted for herself. The theme of individuality also relates to Americans as a whole during the nineteenth century and present day. Due to the fact that this poem was written after the transcendentalist era, the idea of making decisions based off of what one thinks is right versus what the majority thinks was a newer idea. Although Dickinson used ideas from transcendentalism, this poem is one that illustrates realism. The Soul Selects her own Society portrays the idea that life is what it is. The poem also represents all Americans in the sense that we have the freedom to decide what is right and what is wrong. This representation allows for this poem to be elastic enough to represent each individual person but also the group as a
whole.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers and The Soul Selects her own Society both are poems that represent each singular individual while also including and symbolizing all Americans. Emily Dickinson uses dashes, metaphors, and capitalization to create meaning in her poetry. By using this unique writing style, Dickinson was able to write poems that represent herself and Americans as a whole. Both poems are a reflection of the romantic and realist eras prevalent in nineteenth century America and the influence they had on Dickinson. By establishing meaning this way, Dickinson was able to create “an idiom elastic enough to represent each singular individual, yet, somehow, include and symbolize all Americans”. (Wineapple)