“’Hope’ is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson
Notes on the author (p. 438):
Define extended metaphor (see p. 435):
Questions:
1. Where does the speaker say hope resides? Under what conditions has the
speaker heard it sing?
2. What is a “gale?” What does the speaker mean by suggesting that the song is
sweetest “in the Gale”?
3. What does hope (or the bird) ask for in return for its song? How do you interpret
the last stanza?
4. Think of all the ways in which Dickinson extends the metaphor. How is hope’s
song endless? How does it keep you warm?
5. What is the mood of this poem?