“Hope” is the thing with feathers Poet: Emily Dickinson By: Emily Darby

My first poem: “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.

My second poem: It hangs on its stem like a plum at the edge of a darkening thicket. It’s swelling and blushing and ripe and I reach out a hand to pick it the gentlest of breezes rises and the plum lets go of   the stem. And now it’s my fingers ripening and evening that’s reaching for them.

Biographical Information: Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. Only about 7 of her 1,800 poems were actually published. Dickinson did not want to be known. At a young age, she was traumatized by deaths (especially people that she was close to). Most of the poems of hers that were published are death related. At age 55, Dickinson died of a stroke. Four years after her death, Dickinson’s sister found nearly 2,000 poems that she kept to herself.

Organization: In “Hope” is the thing with feathers, there is: 3 stanzas 12 lines 4 lines in each stanza End rhyme

Speaker: The speaker of this poem is an older woman. She has had troubles throughout her life, but has always kept hope and never given up.

Imagery: The line, “That perches in the soul” is an example of imagery in my poem. It helps me “see” what is going on by giving me a reference to a bird sitting in someone’s soul. The bird represents the hope inside of you.

Imagery: Another line that is an example of imagery is, “That could abash the little bird.” This helps me to visualize the situation by giving an example of a storm hurting a bird. The storm represents bad thoughts and the bird represents hope. The figurative meaning of this line is to show how bad thoughts can destroy your hope.

Imagery: Finally, the last example of imagery is, ““And never stops – at all.” This line is an example of imagery because it lets the reader visualize an everlasting tune. It helps me see that hope will never stop or end.

Poetic/Literary Terms: Metaphor – a bird is a metaphor for hope Imagery - a bird “that perches in the soul” Rhyme – the poem includes end rhyme Personification – “It (hope) asked a crumb – of me” Sensory Details – “That kept so many warm” and “And sings the tune without the words”

Literal Meaning: The literal meaning of the poem is that a bird is perched in your soul and never stops singing. A storm eventually ends up hurting the bird.

Figurative Meaning: The figurative meaning of the poem is that hope is everlasting in your soul. Hope endures anything and always finds a way to overcome bad thoughts/ideas and only the harshest of storms (bad thoughts) could damage the hope.

Author’s Purpose: Dickinson’s purpose for this poem was to inform the audience how hope keeps so many people warm and happy but the hope could possibly be destroyed by only the harshest of thoughts.

Theme: The theme of “Hope” is the thing with feathers is that hope keeps your heart and soul warm, happy, and safe from bad thoughts and never gives up.