Question

Hope is the thing with feathers

Answer 1

Emily Dickinson is world renown among poets and those who love literature for her emphasis on both thought and feeling.

She is considered a master of form and syntax and is often called 'a poet of paradox'.

Generally speaking her poems tend to be short and they usually use only one voice (which is not necessarily that of the poet). She published well over 1800 poems of which only a handful of them were titled as is the case of the poem listed here.

Notice her use of form and paradox in referring to hope as a thing with feathers, something that never asks for anything in return.

Answer 2

Sample Response: One way this poem reflects Dickinson's style is that it is written in the first person. This makes the poem feel personal. Also, as is typical of Dickinson, the poem is written in four-line stanzas with a rhythm and rhyme that sounds similar to a song.