However, it wasnʼt until the 1955 publication of Dickinsonʼs Complete Poems by Thomas H. Her work was discovered by her younger sister, Lavinia, who chanced upon her collection of almost 1,800 poems.

Since 1890, Dickinson has remained continuously in print. Despite her astonishing output, fewer than a dozen of Dickinsonʼs poems were published during her lifetime.

In the poem, Dickinson examines the abstract concept of hope. At the end of the poem, she finalized her decision that hope demands nothing in return even not a little thing it just gives to its holder.Ībout The Poem: “’Hope’ is the thing with feathers” is the sixth part of a much larger poem entitled ʻLifeʼ. She says, “Yet never in extremity, it asked a crumb of me”. She is not so much highest in describing her passion that she may cross the limits yet she maintains and balances between hope and its description and does not cross her limits. She further maintains that no matter how much pressing and difficult the circumstances are she even then felt the presence of hope in her life. Dickenson further declares, “I have heard it in the chilliest land”. Again she is of the view about hope that hope is a “Tune without words” because it is abstract although yet exists as a strong and motivated feeling for human beings. Feathers are the source of helping and assisting the bird so for human beings life is enjoyed and nourished by the feathers of hope. Hope for Emily in this poem is“A bird with feathers”. Further her optimism makes her, “Sweetest in the gale”. She says, “Perches, soul, tune without the words”. Her choice of words shows her positive approach towards optimism. As a bird can not fly without wings so man can not live without the ray of hope in his life. She uses the metaphor of bird to portray hope. Summary: In her poem “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” Dickenson mentions hope as a positive approach towards life.

Hope is a feather