Hope Is the Thing with Feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson was written in 1861 and first published in 1891. The text presents hope as a quality that shines even throughout adversity and that only hope can help us to remain positive during extreme situations. Dickinson described hope as a bird that "perches in the soul." This piece depicts the hopefulness of the bird's song that "never stops," even when life is difficult. Hope is everlasting, ever shining and undefeatable.