Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
EN102 Section 174
May 4, 2012
Hope
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of the transitive verb “hope” is 1.) to desire with expectation of obtainment, and 2.) to expect with confidence. The first definition indicates a sense of fulfillment due to a confident yearning. The second definition of the word points to a trusting anticipation. In Emily Dickinson’s famous poem, “Hope is the thing with feathers,” she interprets these definitions and adds her own meaning. The first two lines in the first stanza state, “Hope is the thing with feathers- / That perches in the soul-”. Dickinson is metaphorically suggesting that “hope” is a bird, which lives within all people. The next two lines “And sings the tune without words- / And never stops-at all-” indicate the bird that lives within everyone continuously sings, even when the toughest times are in sight. According to the work overview “Explanation of: “Hope (1),” the writer describes the bird as “courageous and persevering” because of its continuation to “…share its song under even the most difficult conditions.” They also go on to state that by representing “hope” as a bird, “…Dickinson creates a lovely image of the virtue of human desire.” Not everyone expresses courage or perseverance, but all people have the ability to. Everyone’s personality is different. The “bird” in the more outgoing personality is more dominant and recognizable, yet in the more bashful personality the “bird” is hidden by insecurities and the lack of sensing its existence. These opposing character traits are different yet similar; all humans, no matter who or what they are, share the same feeling of desire. Like the bird, the pull of desire may not always be prominent, but it is always there. Similar to the difference in traits, there are different desires in everyone. Some folks may have comparable interests, but not all wish for the same things out of life. Although those who do have the same wants, the songs of their “birds”
May 4, 2012
Hope
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of the transitive verb “hope” is 1.) to desire with expectation of obtainment, and 2.) to expect with confidence. The first definition indicates a sense of fulfillment due to a confident yearning. The second definition of the word points to a trusting anticipation. In Emily Dickinson’s famous poem, “Hope is the thing with feathers,” she interprets these definitions and adds her own meaning. The first two lines in the first stanza state, “Hope is the thing with feathers- / That perches in the soul-”. Dickinson is metaphorically suggesting that “hope” is a bird, which lives within all people. The next two lines “And sings the tune without words- / And never stops-at all-” indicate the bird that lives within everyone continuously sings, even when the toughest times are in sight. According to the work overview “Explanation of: “Hope (1),” the writer describes the bird as “courageous and persevering” because of its continuation to “…share its song under even the most difficult conditions.” They also go on to state that by representing “hope” as a bird, “…Dickinson creates a lovely image of the virtue of human desire.” Not everyone expresses courage or perseverance, but all people have the ability to. Everyone’s personality is different. The “bird” in the more outgoing personality is more dominant and recognizable, yet in the more bashful personality the “bird” is hidden by insecurities and the lack of sensing its existence. These opposing character traits are different yet similar; all humans, no matter who or what they are, share the same feeling of desire. Like the bird, the pull of desire may not always be prominent, but it is always there. Similar to the difference in traits, there are different desires in everyone. Some folks may have comparable interests, but not all wish for the same things out of life. Although those who do have the same wants, the songs of their “birds”
Cited: Dickinson, Emily. “Hope is the thing with feathers.” Prentice Hall Literature Portfolio. Ed. Christy Desmet. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2007. 464. Print. “Explanation of: ‘Hope (1)’ by Emily Dickinson.” LitFinder Contemporary Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2007. LitFinder. Web. 1 May 2012. “Hope.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. Robisch, Sean. "An overview of "Hope is the Thing with Feathers"." Poetry for Students. LiteratureResource Center. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. St. Armand, Barton Levi, and George Monteiro. "Dickinson 's 'HOPE ' IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS." Explicator 47.4 (1989): 34. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 Apr. 2012.