Poetry Analysis – Hope is the Thing with Feathers

Poetry Analysis – Hope is the Thing with Feathers

“Hope is the thing with feathers.” These poetic words by Emily Dickinson describe hope as a bird that rests on the human soul. Emily compares hope to a bird that never stops singing at all, even in the most challenging experiences. Hope is, therefore, a quality that always remains in human beings to keep them strong and encourage them during difficult times. In the poem, the words “That could abash the little bird” express hope as an innocent little bird that a heavy storm could destroy. Despite that, hope is not shaken; it remains strong, courageous, and comforting. Consequently, “Hope is the thing with feathers” is an excellent sonnet because it utilizes metaphoric and symbolic styles, has an optimistic tone, and describes the beauty of life with hope in it.

The Metaphoric and Symbolic Styles Used to Describe Hope

Dickinson utilizes metaphoric and symbolic styles to create a deep understanding of the theme of hope. She uses different vocabularies such as “feathers,” “perches,” “at all,” “abash,” and “little,” which arouses vivid imagery and understanding of hope in her audience. For instance, she compares feathers- the things that keep the birds warm and protected- to hope to illustrate that hope is a natural quality found in people to comfort them. Also, the phrase “perches” shows that the human heart is the bird’s natural home where it rests. This phrase also affirms that hope is a natural feature within human beings. Further, the words “at all” signify hope’s consistent and persistent characteristic. On the other hand, the vocabularies “abash”, “gale”, and “little” portray the image of hope as a tiny bird that could be destroyed in a very intense storm. Still, the bird stays strong and continues to sing, keeping so many warm.

The tone of the Poem: Optimism and Positivity 

The poetess maintains an optimistic tone throughout her poem, making it one of her best poems. She encourages her readers by using various expressions such as “sweetest” and “warm.” As illustrated by the poetess, hope is sweet, warm, and reassuring. Dickinson illustrates that the purpose of hope is to comfort and encourage an individual going through difficult experiences. She creates an imagery of a bird always singing in a sweet, melodious sound even in bad environmental conditions like a heavy storm. This symbolizes hope as the foundation of endurance, courage, and fortitude, which discourages despair and strengthens people to move on when faced with challenging experiences.

Moreover, the persona continues to be optimistic and sends a message of encouragement to her readers. She shares a personal experience when she says she has heard the singing “in the chilliest land” and “on the strangest sea” (Dickinson et al., 1910). She explains that hope has been the thing that has kept her going even when faced with the most challenging situations. The audience is encouraged to view life with an optimistic mind, especially during bad times, as hope is always there to get them through those times.

The Beauty of Life with Hope

Emily’s poem is full of rich images of life, describing it as a natural thing filled with both good and hard times. Difficult times are illustrated by phrases such as “abash,” “sore,” “storm,” “chilliest land,” “strangest sea,” and “extremity.” All these terms explain that most challenges in life are usually natural occurrences.

References

Dickinson, E. (1910). (Higginson, T., & Todd, M., Eds.)  Poems. Retrieved 26 January 2022, from http://link.gale.com/apps/doc/OAZTIX051056289/GCCO?u=soc1&sid=lms-GCCO&pg=123375836&xid=89555176.

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Compose an essay of 750 words and 5 or more paragraphs in which you offer your interpretation of a literary element (such as theme, imagery, symbolism, or characterization) in one of the assigned poems. Choose any poem from our Week 1 or Week 2 poetry reading list.

Tips for the Essay

Open your introduction with an engaging opener, such as a question, quotation from the poem, or interesting idea. Then, connect to the poem and mention the title and the author. End your introduction with a thesis statement that interprets one literary element of the poem.
The body paragraphs should support your thesis. Present specific aspects of the poem that help to illustrate your points. Make sure to quote from the poem and analyze specific lines that support your argument. Typically, body paragraphs will contain at least two short quotations each as supporting evidence. Do not do any outside research. This should be only your own interpretation.
Include a strong concluding paragraph that summarizes your main points and explains the significance of the thesis. Finish this paragraph with a strong and satisfying ending.
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