Lakhasly

Hope

"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.
Theme:

The theme of this poem revolves around the idea of hope. Emily Dickenson reveals that hope is something which remains and resides in human hearts; it leads one far away from despair and encourages him in the time of hardships. Hope always gives and never takes. Hope is like a bird that dwells within everyone's soul. Furthermore, she says that in the time of great challenges, hope raises one's spirits and keeps him warm. Ultimately, the notion of hope is what makes this poem inspirational. It makes the reader know that there is a force out there to get him through the dark days that life can throw in his way. Thus, it points out the positive power and advantages of hope.

Figures of speech:

The poet uses an extended image which runs on throughout the poem. There is a metaphor in "hope". The poet compares hope to a bird which has feathers, sings, and flies high. This image connotes happiness and optimism as it highlights the constructive influence of hope on the human soul. Dickinson introduces her metaphor in the first two lines ""Hope' is the thing with feathers-/That perches in the soul-", then develops it throughout the poem by telling what this bird
does, how it reacts to hardship, where it can be found, and what it asks

for itself. There is a metaphor in "perches in the soul". The poet compares the human soul to a nest or a home in which hope resides or settles. This image reflects the impact of hope on the human soul. Hope raises one's spirits and reinforces his aspiration. There is al metonymy in "Gale". The poet uses a word "Gale" to denote hard times which befall someone. This image shows the difficulty of hard times and crises which hinder one's way through life. The words "sweetest" and "sore" create gustatory image. They appeal to the reader's sense of taste. This image reveals how hope transforms bitterness to sweetness. The word the words "sing" and "heard" appeal to the reader's sense of sound. They create an audible image which conveys the experience of listening to the delightful tune of a singing bird. They appeal to the reader's sense of sound. There is a metonymy in "storm". The poet uses the word "storm" to denote hard times which are inevitable and unavoidable in the earthly life. These difficulties may intimidate and destroy this bird which stands for hope. However, hope provides the individual with strength which enables him to survive and overcome these predicaments. There is a metonymy in "chillest land". The poet uses the word "chillest land" to
denote hopelessness or despair which always surround and befall the human being. This image shows that hope invades hopeless souls and changes their cases to the better. Thus, it stresses the positive and constructive power of hope.

Sound Devices and form:

The poem is written in the form of a lyric which is a short musical poem that can be sung. It has a single speaker who expresses her personal thoughts and feelings. It contains many sound devices. The rhyme scheme is mostly regular, following this pattern: abcb, defe, ghih. It raises the sense of music and creates unity throughout the poem. It indicates the continuity and growth of hope that can change everything to the better and cultivate optimism. There is alliteration in "sore" and "storm" due to the repetition of /s/ sound. It intensifies the musical effect and creates unity between words. The repetition indicates the sharpness of pains in the time of suffering and hardships. There is alliteration in "strongest" and "sea" due to the repetition of /s/ sound. It intensifies the musical effect and creates unity between words. The repetition echoes the sense of silence which prevails in distant places that are visited by hope.
Diction:

The poet uses simple and lucid language which conveys her idea in a straightforward style. There is a paradox between "sings" and "without words". This contradiction shows that the influence of hope is internal and subtle, but it never stops. This influence is continuous, sustainable and far-reaching. In the line five, there is no subject in the sentence "is heard". This omission creates compression, and the subject can be guessed from the context. The subject here is the bird mentioned in the first stanza. The verbs, "sings" and "stops" are used in present tense in order to show immediacy and continuity of hope. It also shows that the positive effect of hope is an undeniable fact. There is an ellipsis in line number four, "And never stops- at all". It creates a pause and extends the duration which emphasizes the idea of continuity of hope. There is an anaphora in "and". The repetition of word "and" at the beginning of each line creates a sense of music and emphasizes the poet's idea of the valuable and positive impact of hope. The poet enumerates or lists the advantages and benefits of having hope. There is a paradox between "sweetest" and "Gale". The contradiction shows the positive change which hope can bring to the human soul. There is capitalization in "Bird" and "Gale". The two words emphasize the
contradiction between the two cases. On the one hand, "Gale" shows suffering and troubles. On the other hand, "Bird" connotes hope and optimism. This image illustrates that in our life, there are ups and downs, so suffering and happiness alternate. We always face happiness and troubles, but hope can always overcome hard times. It enables one to transcend all obstacles. There is an ellipsis in "it asked a crumb-of me". It creates a pause which highlights the fact that hope provides one with optimism and enthusiasm, but it does not ask for anything in return. This shows the idea of self-denial. The word "Extremity" is capitalized to magnify its effect. The speaker shows that even in the most difficult situation, hope expects no pay or reward for its valuable services.