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Poet: Emily Dickinson
Poem: 254.
"Hope" is the thing with feathers
Volume: Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
Year: Published/Written in 1955
Poem of the Day:
Jan 19 2004
Comment 27 of 27, added on April 1st, 2008 at 2:08 PM.
Emily Dickinson’s Poem 254 relates to an individual’s own personal sense of hope, which is metaphorically used as a bird. The “bird” is characterized as having feathers and perching in the soul; its tune is “without words,” which attributes to the fact that hope is essentially personal to each and every individual and no one’s sense of hope is similar to that of another. “And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—“ is a strong juxtaposition of images presented by the speaker. The speaker says that hope is “sweetest,” meaning that one’s hope is positive and uplifting, even through adversity such as “in the Gale.” However, the choice of using the word “Gale” is particularly interesting because of the play on words of the name Gail, which is a Hebrew name for “joy.” While “sweetest” and “joy” are very similar adjectives and images, “sweetest” and “forceful winds” do not seemingly complement each other, thus introducing a rich, contrasting image. The loyalty of hope makes it so seemingly nourishing and beneficial to its host; yet, it is still perceived to be “small” since it is perched within one’s soul. However, it is arguable that one takes something so important for granted, and hope’s presence may appear to be small but, in actuality, is foundationally crucial.
Allison
Comment 26 of 27, added on March 31st, 2008 at 3:36 PM.
I believe the meaning of this poem is that hope never fails. Hope's survival is personified through a bird. Like the bird, hope comes from a person's soul, and "never stops at all," meaning that a person doesn't stop hoping. The bird continues to survive after the storm. When the speaker states, "I've heard it in the chillest land/And on the strangest sea" it symbolizes the survival of hope under horrible circumstances. The last two lines suggest that hope can even survive without a person's help, just as birds do. "Yet, never, in Extremity/It asked a crumb - of me."
Courtney from United States
Comment 25 of 27, added on April 4th, 2007 at 10:15 PM.
I have always been a fan but this poem has gotten me thru the darkest moments of my life. I am thankful that it was written.
Robin
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Comments
Emily Dickinson’s Poem 254 relates to an individual’s own personal sense of hope, which is metaphorically used as a bird. The “bird” is characterized as having feathers and perching in the soul; its tune is “without words,” which attributes to the fact that hope is essentially personal to each and every individual and no one’s sense of hope is similar to that of another. “And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—“ is a strong juxtaposition of images presented by the speaker. The speaker says that hope is “sweetest,” meaning that one’s hope is positive and uplifting, even through adversity such as “in the Gale.” However, the choice of using the word “Gale” is particularly interesting because of the play on words of the name Gail, which is a Hebrew name for “joy.” While “sweetest” and “joy” are very similar adjectives and images, “sweetest” and “forceful winds” do not seemingly complement each other, thus introducing a rich, contrasting image. The loyalty of hope makes it so seemingly nourishing and beneficial to its host; yet, it is still perceived to be “small” since it is perched within one’s soul. However, it is arguable that one takes something so important for granted, and hope’s presence may appear to be small but, in actuality, is foundationally crucial.
Allison