Originally published in 1891, "'Hope' is the thing with feathers" is a poem by Emily Dickinson. In her lifetime, Dickinson was mostly known as something of recluse, rarely leaving her town or home. Her work was only published after her death in 1886, following the discovery of a large cache of her poems. Her writing made use of numerous stylistic idiosyncrasies including slant rhyme, frequent capitalization, and dashes.
At three stanzas long, the poem is rather short, but still manages to be full of emotional resonance. The speaker describes a songbird as the embodiment of hope. Initially, the speaker offers a depiction of its song, before going on to show it enduring the travails of a storm. In the end, the speaker mentions that, at various extremes, this little bird has completed many journeys, while never requiring anything from them. It is a work that is largely concerned with the durability of hope, even in the face of tribulation.
The poem features slant rhyme in the second and fourth lines of each of its stanzas. It also makes use of dashes, which create an embedded rhythm in various lines. On the whole, these stylistic elements add to the musicality of the poem. This is fitting, considering that it is a portrait of a bird whose song is heard in even the most dangerous weather and dire straits. As with many of Dickinson's poems, "'Hope' is the thing with feathers" is both mysteriously abstract and emotionally urgent.
