"HOPE"

“Hope” is the thing with feathers

By Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

 

 

 

This is a poem that I love reading by Emily Dickinson.  When I first read this poem, I could not help but wonder a few questions that still to this day evade my mind.  

 

1. Why is "Hope" the thing with feather?

2. What is this thing with feathers?

 

Sure, I have found my own thoughts as to why I am curious about these questions, but I am still not sure what it is about "Hope".  We all want hope, but with this poem, it appears that hope is the thing with feathers.  At first, I thought that the thing was a bird or something, but after reading the poem several times through, I want to believe that the thing is like a little bird that is within ourselves that holds the hope that we are looking for.  I love seeing that we can have hope.

 

Maybe hope is the thing with feathers because it comes and goes within ourselves all the time.  I never really thought of it that way, but that could very well be the case.  One moment, we could have all the hope in the world, but then the next moment, we may not have any hope.  

 

What do you think?