Answer:
Introduction:
“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson is a poem about the intangible concept of hope, personified as a bird with feathers. The poem explores the power of hope and its ability to sustain individuals through difficult times.
Thesis/Claim:
The author uses personification, metaphor, and imagery to develop the theme that hope is an ever-present and unwavering force in the face of adversity.
Evidence:
The author employs personification by describing hope as a bird with feathers. Dickinson writes, “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers -/ That perches in the soul -/ And sings the tune without the words -/ And never stops - at all -” (lines 1-4). Here, the personification of hope as a bird conveys the idea that hope is something that can take flight and soar, and that it can reside within individuals and give them a sense of comfort.
The author uses metaphor to convey the power of hope in adverse situations. Dickinson writes, “And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -/ And sore must be the storm -/ That could abash the little Bird/ That kept so many warm -” (lines 5-8). The metaphor of hope as a bird that is able to sing the sweetest in the midst of a gale, or storm, suggests that hope can be the most powerful when individuals are facing the most difficult of circumstances.
Finally, the author employs imagery to describe the resilience of hope. Dickinson writes, “I’ve heard it in the chillest land -/ And on the strangest Sea -/ Yet - never - in Extremity,/ It asked a crumb - of me” (lines 9-12). The imagery of hearing hope in the “chillest land” and “strangest sea” conveys the idea that hope can be found in even the most unlikely of places. The fact that hope “never” asks for anything from the individual suggests its unwavering presence.
Reasoning/Warrant:
The personification of hope as a bird with feathers reinforces the idea that hope can give individuals a sense of comfort and can provide them with a sense of stability in uncertain times. The metaphor of hope as a bird that can sing the sweetest during the most difficult of circumstances highlights the power of hope to help individuals persevere in the face of adversity. The imagery of hope in unlikely places emphasizes that hope can be found in even the bleakest of situations and that it can sustain individuals even in the most extreme circumstances.
Concluding sentence:
In “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” Emily Dickinson uses personification, metaphor, and imagery to illustrate the resilience of hope and the power it has to sustain individuals through difficult times.