HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS Gul Mohar Reader Class 8 Answer 9th Edition

 

HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS

 Composed by Emily Dickinson



“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.

About Emily Dickinson 

Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 10th, 1830. She would remain in Amherst her entire life, spending her last few years reclusively, seeing only close family and a few friends. During this period, and before her seclusion, Dickinson wrote many poems, of which only two were published while she was living. Lavinia Dickinson, Emily’s sister, gathered Emily’s poems after her death and began having them published in various selections beginning in 1890. Dickinson’ work includes almost 1800 poems, along with many vibrantly written letters.

Dickinson, the middle child born to her lawyer father and homemaker mother, was well educated for a female for the time period. She had several years of formal schooling, and she spent one year at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, which was the longest period she ever was away from home. Although she reportedly had several male suitors, Dickinson never married. During her late teens and early 20s, Dickinson endured the deaths of several friends and family members, an occurrence that would contribute to her seeming fascination with death, as displayed in her often poignant poetry.

Although she wrote her first poems while still in her teens, her 20s and 30s were the most prolific for her work. In 1855, her father bought the home in which Emily had been born, and she moved back there, where she would remain for the remainder of her life. Her brother and his wife bought the estate next door, and Dickinson enjoyed both the numerous social gatherings offered next door as well as her more private setting at home. She had a conservatory built inside her family home so that she could indulge in another favorite hobby, gardening, year round. During this time, she sent several poems to the Atlantic Monthly, but none were published there. Two poems were published by a newspaper, however. Dickinson shared her poems with her family and close friends, but none knew the extent of her collection until after her death in 1886.

Summary

HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS

Emily Dickinson


"Hope is the thing with feathers" by Emily Dickinson is based on a metaphor. The idea of “hope" is metaphorically transformed into a free and courageous songbird that dwells in the human soul. It keeps singing no matter how difficult the circumstances are.

This bird, as a silent companion, continues to preach the soul to stay steadfast and hopeful regardless of obstacles. Its song helps the devastated souls to regain their senses.

Dickinson also shows that hope is everlasting and undefeated. She compares human struggle with a storm. Hope serves as the beacon of light at the end of the storm.

Essentially, the poem seeks to remind readers of the power of hope and how little it requires of people. The speaker makes it clear that human beings cling to hope in times of
difficulty. Hope never asks for anything in return.

"Hope is the Thing with Feathers" is one of a number of poems by Dickinson that breathes new life into an abstract concept by using vivid imagery and figurative language. 

HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS

Understanding the Poem

1. The poem, “Hope is the thing with feathers” is an extended metaphor. It personifies hope as a bird. 

This little bird resides in the human soul.



2.

a. Not only is Hope a bird, it can also sing melodious songs. It perches on the human soul and sings all the time. However, the song has no words or diction. It solely has a tune. But this tune in itself is a pure feeling and a deep seated longing that sprouts from the human soul.


b. Hope keeps singing, relentlessly soothing the soul. It sings the sweetest when the going gets tough and the Gale starts to blow. When life gets difficult and obstacles are thrown our way, there is Hope, singing through the chaos and disorder.
‘That kept so many warm’ is the line in the second stanza which talks about how the bird makes people feel.


c. When the poet says that the bird never stops singing, she means that hope is omnipresent. It does not need a specific situation or time to make its presence felt. It rests in the human heart and springs to action when the going gets tough.



3. The tune of hope sounds more comforting than ever in times of difficulty, when the Gale starts to blow. When life gets unbearable and newer challenges loom large, Hope soothes its listeners, singing through the chaos and mayhem.



4. Hope never gets upset or disturbed. The lines “Yet, never, in Extremity, it asked a crumb—of me.” tell us this.
The poet says that she has heard the bird during the hardest, coldest times, when emotions are churning and life is difficult. But even when things are extreme Hope is still there and never asks for anything. Hope can give us strength to carry on in the most adverse of conditions. Its songs can be heard, even as the storm rages on.



5. The lines, “And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard— And sore must be the storm—” tells us that the speaker has found hope in the most desperate of circumstances.



6. The speaker has heard the bird sing during the hardest, coldest times, when emotions are churning and life surreal. But even when things are extreme Hope is still there and never asks for anything. She says this to show the perpetuity of hope. Hope exists in the cruellest of times, never asking anyone for anything in return.