Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the
tunes without the words - and never stops at all.
“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.
In this poem, Dickinson personifies hope as a bird that resides within the soul, singing a wordless tune
that continues unabated even in the face of adversity. The poem suggests that
hope is a resilient and constant force, providing solace and warmth to
individuals during difficult times. While Dickinson acknowledges the harshness
of life ("sore must be the storm"), she also emphasizes the endurance of hope,
which never asks for anything in return.
This poem is a glimmer of hope in Emily Dickinson's poetry - naturally melancholic and introspective. If you wish to learn more idiomatic expressions about hope, there is another blog entry devoted to idioms about hope.