How Does Emily Dickinson Use Personification In Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

Emily Dickinson wrote, “Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.” This is one of many recognized quotes said by American poet Emily Dickinson. Much of her work can be interpreted as lyrics holding deeper thought and feeling. Dickinson was a keen observer of religion, nature, love, and life; and this is translated into one of her most famous pieces called “Hope is the Thing with Feathers.” In this piece she is able to effortlessly depict hope metaphorically as a bird. Through her use of iambic trimeter, rhyme, rhythm, and repetition she allows sentiment and sound to flow into each stanza. Emily Dickinson is a true expert when molding several artistic devices together into a masterpiece. We will be breaking apart some key stanzas in the poem and analyzing how Dickinson uses these devices to depict hope as a bird. In the first stanza of the poem Dickinson immediately makes a metaphor and uses personification. She transforms this inanimate object of hope, into a living and breathing bird or as described in the poem. “Hope is the thing with feathers” (1). She goes on to describe the properties of hope itself. She talks about hope being very tough and persistent. In the poem it talks about this bird going

She is able to see such a variety of complex artistic devices and compress them into a brief and detailed poem. Not only is an amazing metaphor being described, but she manages to merge it with personification, making hope take another form. She is able to use a detailed rhythmic scheme which brings the poem to life by giving it sound and presence. This poem has layer after layer, which makes it so special. Many of the stanzas can be interpreted to be multivalent, but the true underlying message Dickinson is writing about is more than clear. Which is why this poem is so great to read and peel away at because of its complexities yet