Emily Dickinson's poem 'Hope is the thing with feathers' uses the metaphor of a small bird to illustrate the fragility yet resilience of hope. The poem explores the persistence of hope through life's challenges, suggesting it is universally understood and always present without expectation of repayment. Its structure includes three stanzas with an irregular rhyme scheme, punctuated by dashes that emphasize the ongoing, unceasing nature of hope.

1. Hope is a thing with
feathers
Emily Dickinson

2. • December 10 1830 – May 15 1886
• American poet
• Not much is known about her personal life except that she was born
into a wealthy family in Massachussetts
• She studied (as much a woman could in that time) then returned home
• She kept to herself, never married and was considered by most of her
neighbours to be highly eccentric
• While she wrote many poems and stories, it was only
10 years after her death that her work was published
after it was found in her bedroom by family
Emily Dickinson

3. “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.
Hope is a thing with feathers

4. Summary
• The poem is about how fragile hope is
• But even though it is fragile, it still manages to hold on
• She compares hope to a tiny bird that rests in her soul and somehow
manages to overcome everything – and never ask for payment
Theme
• The strength of hope
• Hope never dies
Mood
• Optimistic
• Wistful
Summary | Theme | Mood

5. • Three stanzas
• 4 line each
• Rhyme scheme
• abcb dede fggg
• Irregular rhyme
• Extended metaphor
• When the comparison (metaphor) is maintained throughout the
poem and not just a single line.
• In this case the poet compares ‘hope’ to a ‘small bird’
• Punctuation
• The poet uses dashes throughout to extend the poem
• Although they end the line, it suggests that it doesn’t stop, it keeps
going – just like the bird (hope) never stops.
Structure

6. “Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
Metaphor – starts the
extended metaphor of
hope as a small bird
Purposefully vague; the poet does not
want the reader to associate a particular
bird; it is different for everyone.
It is in all of us.
Suggests the song is universally
understood; it doesn’t need words; we
all know what hope is trying to say
Hyperbole – hope never goes
away, it is always there
The dash draw attention to the last two
words that emphasise the fact that it
never, ever stops
v. sits
Stanza One

7. And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
Personification of the storms of life;
capital letter emphasises its effect on
us
Capitalised for emphasis and importance
Figurative – the tiny bird kept people
warm emotionally by giving them hope
hurt/guilty
harm
In this stanza the poet says that the bird’s song is heard in the fiercest time in life and that these
‘storms’ should feel guilty for what they have done as the bird keeps so many people warm during times
of trouble.
Superlative form suggests that the
song is best during the hardest times.
Stanza Two

8. I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
Hyperbole – superlative emphasises where life is harshest
Hyperbole – superlative emphasises places we are not familiar
with; capitalised for emphasis and reference to sailors of the time
Furthest know reaches; as bad as it can be; capitalised for emphasis
Placed between dashes
emphasises this word – hope
NEVER leaves
It doesn’t expect payment or thanks – it just does it
The poet tells us that the bird is heard everywhere.
No matter how far, no matter how bad, the bird
(hope) is there; and it doesn’t expect anything in
return.
Stanza Three