Question

Now that Violet understands metaphors and similes, it’s time to dive into the poem.

You and Violet read the poem together:

““Hope” is a 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 of the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.”

Dickinson uses a metaphor to describe the place of hope in her poem. What does she compare hope to?
Question 2 options:

A little bird


A feather


A tune without words


A storm

Answer 1

A little bird.

Dickinson’s opening line — “’Hope’ is the thing with feathers” — is a metaphor comparing hope to a small bird that perches in the soul and sings without asking for anything.