Nineteenth-century American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) wrote a short but significant poem that compares hope to a bird in the heart that sings. Here is the complete poem (from poets.org):
Hope is the thing with feathers (254)
Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. I’ve heard it in the chillest land, And on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me.
Poetry can be challenging to understand in any language, but it is especially difficult if it is not written in your first language; thus, you may not quite catch all that Dickinson is saying here and how it relates to hope. I will talk a little bit about it as I go along.
Have you ever felt very depressed about something, but somewhere in your thoughts you still had just a tiny bit of light that kept you going? Dickinson says that when we feel bleak inside, there is a little “thing with feathers” that continues to sing even through the darkest and most stormy times. Indeed, hope is like a bird that will not cease its song, no matter how discouraging life becomes. We human beings are very tenacious deep down; our hearts just won’t let us give up easily. We hold on to the smallest amount of hope. Sometimes we are not able to define the light that keeps us moving forward, but it is there. This is what Dickinson means when she says that hope “sings the tune without words/And never stops at all.”
Hope keeps us “warm,” Dickinson says, even on the “chillest land” or the “strangest sea.” You, as ESL students, are here in a new country that may, at times, seem very cold and strange. It is essential for you to keep hope alive in your heart in order to make it through life. Living in a new place can be so stressful, difficult, painful, and overwhelming. You have a very challenging task in studying English and trying to adapt to a culture with which you are unfamiliar. Through all of these frightening experiences, hope can keep you warm. Your hope may fade when set against the challenges you face, but it would take a “storm” far more terrible to “abash” that little bird, causing it to refrain from singing.
The bird of hope is small but tough. It will continue to chirp its uplifting and inspiring tune even when you want to give up. It will warble its “sweetest” melody in your soul. The song may grow weak in the midst of darkness, but it will “never stop” completely if you are conscious of doing what you can to keep hope vibrant.
One way to do this is to focus on the successes you have already had. There was a time when you thought you could never hold a conversation with a native English speaker, but now you are doing that quite often, aren’t you? You thought you would never be able to write a complete essay, but you have probably already finished many. You have had extremely demanding classes that you thought you could not pass, but you passed them. Maybe you did not get an A, but you passed. Okay…so maybe you didn’t pass a class. Remember this: You can take it again, and when you do, you will be more ready and learn even more this time. Be hopeful.
You can choose to focus on hope. By doing this, you will not only strengthen yourself, but you will also motivate others whose song of hope is not as loud as yours is. When you are with your friends, make a point of encouraging each other with cheerful words and kindness. You can be the one to start, for you know how vital hope is. Talk deeply and honestly about your fears and failures, as well as your plans and goals for the future. Share your dreams, even if they seem unattainable or silly. Make arrangements to meet your friends for coffee or invite them to your apartment to watch a movie. Study together to develop a sense of camaraderie. All of these actions will keep hope present and cause it to grow in your soul—and the hearts and souls of others whose hope is dying on the stormy, “strange sea” of life.
I want you all to be aware of this sweet, feathery bird of hope that is singing with all its heart to help you through your life, especially now as you are struggling so greatly. It holds a beautiful, crucial message. Listen to it.