Hope is the Thing with Feathers by Emily Dickinson | Structure, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. “Hope” is the Thing with Feathers is a short metaphorically driven poem written by Emily Dickinson which was posthumously published in 1891. The poem appears in Fascicle 13 of her handwritten manuscript and is believed to be written around 1861. Emily Dickinson wrote this poem aphoristically, compressing lengthy details into some words. Emily Dickinson hardly ever published her massive stock of 1800 poems. Only her sister stumbled upon the prolific collection and took the liberty to publish the massive literary work. The poem was published in 1891 in a collection of her works under the title Poems, which was edited and published by Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd.

Structure of ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers:

As the title suggests, it is a metaphorical poem. When abstract concepts are under study such as death, love, and hope, they are often represented by an object from nature. The small bird represents hope in this poem. The poem is written in 12 lines composed in Three quatrains following a hymnal meter, which maintains the rhythm of alternating between four beats (iambic tetrameter) and three beats (iambic trimeter) during each stanza. The poem follows a loose rhyme scheme of ABCB, conforming to the expected pattern of a ballad. Dickinson used the Repetition of the words, 'that’ and ‘and’ several times in the poem. Using Enjambment, she cuts off a line before its natural stopping point in many instances. For example, the transition between lines three and four of the second stanza. Dickinson used extended metaphor to transform hope into a bird that rests within the human soul. As part of this metaphor, the poem draws a symbolic link between birdsong and the indomitable (undefeatable) power of hope. Dickinson used Anaphora in lines 7, and 8 of the poem, and the polysyndeton ‘and’ has also been used several times.

The main theme of the poem is ‘Hope.’ Dickinson wrote this poem as a hymn of praise, written to honor the human capacity for hope. The poem calls upon the imagery of seafaring adventures with the use of the words "Sea" and "Gale." Dickinson uses the metaphor of "Hope" being likened to a bird that does not disappear when it encounters hardships or "storms."

Summary of ‘Hope is the thing with feathers:

Stanza 1 lines 1-4

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

Dickinson offers an extended definition of a particular simple word ‘Hope’ and casts it in a new, surprising light using metaphor. She takes the abstract concept of Hope and applies a concrete idea or image of a bird to it. Dickinson wrote this poem without any title and the opening line was thus chosen as the title. The title or the opening line clearly expresses the motive of the poem which is to explain how hope is like a bird, and why that connection is important in the first place.

The poetess feels that hope can be deemed as a bird with feathers, singing in its own tune merrily. It may not speak any specific language, yet it’s certainly present within human souls. The poet uses the verb ‘perches’ which is almost exclusively used for birds, and as a noun, the word has a connotation of signifying the bird's home or the place where it is at rest.

Just as importantly, Emily Dickinson voices that hope is an eternal spring that never stops, as it’s a vital constituent of human beings, enabling us to conquer unchartered territories.

Stanza 2 Lines 4-8

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

In the second stanza, the poetess extends her metaphors elucidating the expansive power hope wields over us. It gets merrier and sweeter as the storm gets mightier and relentless. The poetess deems that no storm can sway hope and its adamant attitude. Hope is always singing, but it sounds the sweetest when the wind gets rougher. The storm rages and the song sweetens. When life gets tough, it is hoped that serves as a ray of light in the storm of darkness. When everything turns somber, hope is all one holds onto. It is what keeps one moving forward. Hope provides a safe haven for many people. It would take a lot for a storm to weaken hope. In line 7, the poetess directly mentions hope as a bird for the first time.

Stanza 3 Lines 9-12

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

In the third and the last quatrain, the poetess concludes her poem by stressing that hope retains its clarity and tensile strength in the harshest of conditions, yet it never demands in return for its valiant services. The poetess says that she has witnessed hope in the most adverse events, and yet it has never asked for even a tiny part of a person’s self. Everything in life comes with a price, except hope. It comes from within. Hope strengthens one against all extremities of life and acts as an unsung hero.

Dickinson used the personal pronoun ‘I’ in line 9, suggesting the personal connection of her or an individual with ‘hope.’

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of American English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!