More Hope…."Hope is the Thing with Feathers"

The following is from guest blogger Christopher Hart. I discovered his gift for analyzing poetry from a blog he posts at work. The day after I posted my blog “The Thorn and a Rose”, his analysis of Emily Dickinson’s poem appeared on our Intranet at work. The first sentence of his analysis really touched my heart. You can check out more of his writings at http://poetry-fromthehart.blogspot.com. Enjoy!

“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.

– Emily Dickinson

Hope can never be wiped out, and no matter how extreme the circumstance, it “sings the tune without the words – and never stops at all.” It is endless optimism, “heard sweetest” amid the most trying times, characterized here as a bitter storm. Even in the most extreme circumstances, Hope is free. “It never asked a crumb of me.” Dickinson writes.

I enjoy the image of Hope as a tiny bird that perches inside your soul, singing wordlessly, never stopping. Though a metaphorical construct, it’s treated in the poem in sensory images. Hope the bird sings sweetly, providing warmth amidst chill, and is heard most keenly in “chillest land” and “strangest sea.” Hope comes to us when we need it, giving us what we need to carry on.

This is one of the poems I’ve encountered throughout my life that I’ve found to be eminently true. I think there is something inside us, some spark, that provides light when things are darkest. It’s one of those poems that I feel on an emotional level, and one that I’ve memorized to carry with me, like a totem. Emily Dickinson’s poetry lends itself well to memorization, as it has such strong metrical characteristics. It makes it pleasant to recite, and I think by memorizing this poem, I can envision that “Hope” just a little bit clearer when I need to.

This is by guest blogger