Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
Hope is the Thing with Feathers
In Emily Dickenson’s poem, Hope, she uses poetic device’s to describe hope as being like a bird. Birds are usually symbolized as being courageous and having a free soul to roam the skies. Therefore to compare hope to being like a bird was a wise choice for Dickenson because those who choose to be hopeful will have a necessity to have courage deep within them. Dickenson begins her poem with this vague statement that “Hope is the thing with feathers” (line 1). She refers to feathers as being like the feathers of a bird. As she continues on the second line, she states that the bird “perches in the soul” (line 2). This could best be explained that just as a bird rests upon a perch, hope can as well rest or perch deep in the soul. Dickenson uses imagery of the bird to show how hope can be perceived by the naked eye. In lines three through four, the bird “sings the tune-without the words/ and never stops at all” (line 3-4). These lines explain that even though the human eye may not be able to see hope in a physical aspect, they can sure believe that it is there and that feeling hope is indeed possible. One can never stop hoping and never the less, living a life without hope would inevitably be difficult.
Dickenson metaphorically describes what it would be like if a person were to annihilate hope from their lives. Beginning with lines five through eight she states “And sweetest in the gale is heard/ and sore must be the storm/ that could abash the little bird/ that kept so many warm” (lines 5-8). The reasoning behind this statement is that the one who demolishes hope will never feel it and will continue to have feelings of negativity and sorrow. In comparison to this, the bird in the storm is just like the one with no hope and constant negativity. The storm would be considered the negativity and the bird would be considered the people who are brought down by these negative actions. These actions can cause the little bird to be abashed.
In Emily Dickenson’s poem, Hope, she uses poetic device’s to describe hope as being like a bird. Birds are usually symbolized as being courageous and having a free soul to roam the skies. Therefore to compare hope to being like a bird was a wise choice for Dickenson because those who choose to be hopeful will have a necessity to have courage deep within them. Dickenson begins her poem with this vague statement that “Hope is the thing with feathers” (line 1). She refers to feathers as being like the feathers of a bird. As she continues on the second line, she states that the bird “perches in the soul” (line 2). This could best be explained that just as a bird rests upon a perch, hope can as well rest or perch deep in the soul. Dickenson uses imagery of the bird to show how hope can be perceived by the naked eye. In lines three through four, the bird “sings the tune-without the words/ and never stops at all” (line 3-4). These lines explain that even though the human eye may not be able to see hope in a physical aspect, they can sure believe that it is there and that feeling hope is indeed possible. One can never stop hoping and never the less, living a life without hope would inevitably be difficult.
Dickenson metaphorically describes what it would be like if a person were to annihilate hope from their lives. Beginning with lines five through eight she states “And sweetest in the gale is heard/ and sore must be the storm/ that could abash the little bird/ that kept so many warm” (lines 5-8). The reasoning behind this statement is that the one who demolishes hope will never feel it and will continue to have feelings of negativity and sorrow. In comparison to this, the bird in the storm is just like the one with no hope and constant negativity. The storm would be considered the negativity and the bird would be considered the people who are brought down by these negative actions. These actions can cause the little bird to be abashed.