Poem Analysis Hope is the Thing with Feathers

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Poem AnalysisHope is the Thing with Feathers
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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

• I. Form
• 1. Line 12 lines
• 2. Stanza 3 stanzas
• 3. Sentence 3 sentences
• 4. Rhyme scheme
• - Syllabic (???) rhyme
• heard-bird, storm-warm, sea-extremity-me
• - Forced (???) rhyme
• feathers-words, soul-all

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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

• 5. The literal meaning
• a. Line 5 And sweetest in the gale is heard
• What is heard in the gale?
• b. Line 6 And sore must be the storm
• ? The...
• c. Line 9 Ive heard it in the chilliest land
• What does it mean?

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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

• 5. The literal meaning
• a. Line 5 And sweetest in the gale is heard
• Hope is heard sweetest in the gale.
• b. Line 6 And sore must be the storm
• ? The storm must be sore
• c. Line 9 Ive heard it in the chilliest land
• Here it means the tune that the bird sings
  (i.e. hope).

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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

• II. Point of View
• Who is the speaker in the poem?
• Who is he/she talking to?
• What is he/she trying to say?

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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

• II. Point of View
• Who is the speaker in the poem?
• It can be the poet herself. It can be a
  traveler.
• 2. Who is he/she talking to?
• It can be another case of talk-to-oneself. It
  is also likely that the speaker is encouraging
  someone whos losing hope, or someone who
  questions what hope is.
• 3. What is he/she trying to say?
• Hope lies in our heart and it never asks us to
  pay any price for having hope. Hope can hardly
  fade away. Only under extreme circumstances might
  hope be gone.

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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

• III. Imagery (language that appeals to the five
  senses)
• Words What sense appealed to

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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

• III. Imagery (language that appeals to the five
  senses)
• Words What sense appealed to
• sings the tune sound
• heard sound
• warm feeling
• sore feeling
• chilliest feeling

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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

• IV. Figurative Language (metaphor, simile,
  personification, symbolism)
• Word/Phrase Type What is being
  compared
• the thing w/ Metaphor Hope/bird (it
  sings, it flies)
• feathers
• sings the tune Person.
• w/o the words
• gale/ storm Symbolism Difficulties
• chilliest land/
  Situations where one
• strangest sea finds it
  hard to survive
• crumb Reward?

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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

• V. Topic and theme
• What is the subject matter?
• What kind of attitude does the speaker have
  toward hope? According to the speaker, what is
  hope? Is it really like a bird?
• Write a sentence or two on the truth about life
  that the poet is trying to communicate.

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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

• V. Topic and theme
• It is about life and about what supports people
  under difficulties.
• The speaker honors hope, something that is
  invaluable and invincible. It may share some
  characteristics of a bird, but even if it gets
  hungry, it doesnt request any reward or price
  from people. Hope is self-sufficient(?) and truly
  self-less.

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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

• V. Topic and theme
• 3. (pretty much like the ideas in the previous
  slide.)
• Hope is in our heart. It cant be found else
  where. As long as we believe its existence, it is
  there, especially in distress and adversities.
  The difficulties in life may be so immense that
  we will be left in extreme pain. But hope,
  throughout the time, has warmed so many hearts.
  It will definitely take good care of ours too.
  All we have to do is to listen, to find strength
  from within.

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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vquFE4B4iURsfeature
  fvw a very short film
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v73A6rBGDdAU  a
  creepy song