Two well-prepared analyses on "Hope is the Thing with Feathers" by Emily Dickinson, thoroughly covering the main aspects of the poem, including theme, tone, line-by-line analysis, and questions with answers. These notes are sure to score you an A and will fully prepare you for your final exams.
ANALYSIS 1
HOPE IS A THING WITH FEATHERS
EMILY DICKINSON
ABOUT THE POEM
● This poem is an extended metaphor, transforming hope into a bird that is ever present in
the human soul.
It sings especially when times get tough.
STANZA 1
● Emily Dickinson compares hope to a bird (the thing with feathers)
● Hope has feathers and it can, like a bird, perch(live) in the human soul.
● Feathers are soft and gentle to touch, but they are also strong in flight, even on tiny
birds.
● This imagery grows stronger as we read further. Not only is hope feathery, it can also
sing. It sits on a perch and sings the whole time.
● But this song(hope) is special, for there are no words for anyone to understand rationally.
● HOPE is a song without words. It is a pure feeling that you cannot describe with words.
● The song(HOPE) is endless. There will always be hope!
STANZA 2
● Hope sings its sweetest when the going gets rough – when the gale(strong wind) starts
to blow.
● So, when life is hard and things are thrown at us, there is always HOPE, singing through
the chaos and hardship.
● It would take a hellish storm to embarrass or disconcert this bird [“sore” (angry) and
“abash” (embarrass)]
● Thus, hope is difficult to disturb, even when life seems hard.
STANZA 3
, ● I – personal pronoun > indicating a personal connection.
● The speaker has heard the bird during the hardest, coldest times, when emotions are
churning and surreal.
● But even when things are extreme, Hope is still there and never asks for anything.
● Hope gives us much, but never asks for a crumb in return.
● Hope is kind of mysterious. It can give us strength to carry on in the most adverse
conditions.
● Its voice can always be heard, despite the noise at the height of the storm(strangest sea)
THEME
● Despite all the difficult times people go through in life, there will always be hope.
Nothing can take hope away!
ANALYSIS 2
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