When the darkness closes in and the feelings of despair and anguish arise, there is one thing that banishes these troubles: hope. Hope is the underlying motivation that pushes one to continue forward, even though it may seem impossible. Even when stripped of everything, a person always has hope. It is a steady protector and achiever. Emily Dickinson portrays this constant companion beautifully in her poem ““Hope” is the thing with feathers” by constructing a metaphor of a bird that sings the never-ending song of faith, and expressing that hope is a refuge that supports her even in her darkest times.
In the uplifting and positive poem ““Hope” is the thing with feathers –,” Emily Dickinson compares the feeling of hope to a bird. She starts off …show more content…
It is an eternal force that is always there, and can never be extinguished. Moving on to the second stanza, Emily Dickinson writes “And the sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –.” The Gale is the strong wind that blows, signaling a storm of some form or distress. Hope is “sweetest” and most powerful in times of trial and adversary, as it is the fight for clearer skies and the time when the hardship and struggle is over. A major change in the poem occurs in the second line, “And sore must be the storm.” Prior to this line, positivity and promise wound through Dickinson’s words. A feeling of unrest and negativity emerge through the last three lines of the second stanza. The problem that is weighing a person down is so severe and terrible that it is affecting hope, or “abash” the bird. Abash means to “make ashamed, embarrassed, of self-conscious” and is a very extreme word that is typical of Dickinson. This stark contrast is detailing how dark and tremulous the “storm” must be in order to shame the bird, which in turn means to turn away hope, leaving only despair and fear. The “storm” can also be interpreted as someone who is destroying hope in others, causing hurt and loss of hope because they themselves have been beaten down and want to “abash” all
In the uplifting and positive poem ““Hope” is the thing with feathers –,” Emily Dickinson compares the feeling of hope to a bird. She starts off …show more content…
It is an eternal force that is always there, and can never be extinguished. Moving on to the second stanza, Emily Dickinson writes “And the sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –.” The Gale is the strong wind that blows, signaling a storm of some form or distress. Hope is “sweetest” and most powerful in times of trial and adversary, as it is the fight for clearer skies and the time when the hardship and struggle is over. A major change in the poem occurs in the second line, “And sore must be the storm.” Prior to this line, positivity and promise wound through Dickinson’s words. A feeling of unrest and negativity emerge through the last three lines of the second stanza. The problem that is weighing a person down is so severe and terrible that it is affecting hope, or “abash” the bird. Abash means to “make ashamed, embarrassed, of self-conscious” and is a very extreme word that is typical of Dickinson. This stark contrast is detailing how dark and tremulous the “storm” must be in order to shame the bird, which in turn means to turn away hope, leaving only despair and fear. The “storm” can also be interpreted as someone who is destroying hope in others, causing hurt and loss of hope because they themselves have been beaten down and want to “abash” all