Paper Example on Hope's Feather: Emily Dickinson's Poem

My favorite poem is ‘Hope is the Thing with a Feather’ written by Emily Dickson. Emily spent much of her life inside. She wrote the poem inspired by her inner struggles. Though she lived alone, her poem brings out the best and worst of her. She is a poet who knows how to communicate with the word through the power of her words. Her style of writing the poem is lyrical, with her being the speaker who brings out her thoughts to the world on hope. But is hope a thing with a feather?

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The poet uses an extended metaphor to portray hope as a bird that finds a haven within a person’s soul. The bird does not stop singing, no matter how the weather is. People all over the world pass through challenging life-threatening situations, but what keeps them going is the hope that good things will come eventually. As I walk through the poem, the first thing that attracts me is how it relates to hopeless situations in life. The poem reminds me of the difficult situations I go through in my studies and how hope ‘keeps me warm’ even in the hardest times (Pujanes 13).

Hope teaches us how frail it is but also how strong it can be. The author states that hope “perches in the soul” and also states in the next line that “And sings the tune without words.” The two stanzas show that hope is different, and no one knows what the person sitting next to them is hoping for. It also proves that hope is voiceless since it cannot speak on its own, but the best thing about it is that it sings like a bird. Hope is a continuous song, music that does not fade away, and no one can stop anyone from thinking or hoping. I always hope for better things in life even after my studies, and I believe I will make it in life. I also believe that no one will take hope away from me. An occurring event of COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge to everyone in the world, but even with all the problems, everyone in their hearts hopes that the pandemic will be over soon, and life will be back to normal. Hope is described as a pure feeling, a pure song seated and longing to fly anytime.

In the next stanza, Emily states, “And sweetest in the gale is heard, and sore must be the storm.” The author means that an individual has a habit of thinking and hoping more, especially when in trouble “And sore must be in the storm” and just like a bird flies in a storm hoping to reach its destination. Even when there is a storm, the bird sings does not stop singing. Human beings are hopeful that even when things are bad, they will get out of the situation. Even with COVID 19 on the way, everyone is hopeful of succeeding and overcoming it. No one can stop an individual from hoping. This is demonstrated by Emily as she states that “I’ve heard it in the chilliest land, And on the strangest Sea.” Hope is not selfish and never demands a ‘crumb you’ even at the extreme point in life. A bird symbolizes hope because it exists everywhere. Hope does not ask for any favors, no matter where an individual is on earth.

The way the author has systematically glued the words together interests me as it relates to my past experiences and future expectations, and that’s why the poem is more significant than any other poem. The courage and hope of the bird are shown even in storms. The poem teaches that hope will always be with us no matter the despair or danger the human spirit goes through. The author states that even on the chilliest land covered with snow, there is a feeling of hope (Maurice 2). The bird sings even at the coldest times when things are uncertain and hopes for better days ahead.

Conclusion

The poem shows that a bird and hope seem to have the same characteristics since they exist everywhere; they both fly and do not bribe or ask for a favor or a price to show their worth. The poem is inspirational and, at the same time, mysterious, but the biggest of all is that it describes hope as a feather, as a bird that does not give up even through the storm.

Works Cited

“Maurice Blanchot.” Hope, 2020, DOI:10.5040/9781350105324.ch-007.

Pujanes, Kristel Marie. “Featured Poem: ‘Hope’ Is the Thing with Feathers by Emily Dickinson.” The Quarter-Life Experiment, 29 Mar. 2020, thebadbread.com/2020/03/29/featured-poem-hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers-by-emily-dickinson/