Hope Is the Thing with Feathers

“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.

What we have here is a process of definition: "Hope" is defined as a "thing" at first, and then refined in stages until it reaches a deeply spiritual status in its selflessness.

Dickinson uses the word "thing" in her poems to establish a broad definition which can then be worked upon. Hope is initially a "thing" which transforms into a bird- "feathers"- that "perches in the soul", i.e. "Hope" is spiritual and lives within our soul. "Hope" is seen as unceasing-"sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -".

The bird/hope is most appreciated in times of difficulty-"in the Gale". It is at this point that Dickinson wonders if "Hope" can withstand any storm/difficulty-"And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -".

Implicit here is the acknowledgement that "Hope" can be abashed, even though it has "kept so many warm" in times of extremity. Dickinson, having conceded that "Hope" can experience reversals on rare occasions, proceeds to praise its qualities, using superlatives-"chillest", "strangest". Dickinson uses superlatives to express profound admiration. Her closing tribute to "Hope" portrays the "bird" as completely selfless-

"Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me."

Selflessness is, of course, a spiritual quality that, for Christians, is identified with Christ and his crucifixion for our sake.