Have you ever heard the poem “Hope is the Thing with Feathers,” by Emily Dickinson? The first stanza is very popular, but the other two are not so widely known.
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 –
Iโve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.
Recently as I pondered this poem, it occured to me that that another author wrote of feathers. And while hope is not mentioned, it is there.
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:4
All of Psalm 91 talks about God’s protection of His children, but verse 4 has always been my favorite. (You can read the rest of the chapter here.) Until recently, I’d never connected it to this poem. The idea of God hiding us underneath His feathers and protecting us like a mother bird brings me so much hope. We also know that God sings over us (Zeph. 3:17). So it’s almost as if, in this figurative language, HE is the One with feathers. For those who are in Christ, the Holy Spirit lives inside us. He perches in our soul and sings a song of hope because this is not the end. A wordless song because we have no words for it, thought He does. We have an indescribable future ahead of us.
I don’t know if Emily Dickinson was a Christian or not, but I have read that she turned often to her Bible for comfort. It strikes me that this famous poem reflects truths from Scripture, and I find it very telling that the secular world loves it so much, even with its Christian message. Perhaps we all identify with a song of hope that never stops singing. Today I’d like to remind you to listen to it. ๐
Image credit: Pexels
This was beautiful, Ella Em! This message of hope really encouraged me! ๐
Aww, I’m so glad! ๐ค
I was so happy when I read this post. Thank you for the reminder that God is always there and protecting us with his wings like a mother bird. I enjoyed reading very much!
Thank you!! I’m so glad. โบ๏ธ
I absolutely loved this, Ella Rose! You really pointed out a beautiful connection there. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you, and you’re welcome! ๐
Thank you for reminding me of this hope! It is very comforting. ๐
You’re welcome, sis! โฃ๏ธ
This is so encouraging, Ella!! I love the comforting analogy of God covering us with His wings. Also, I had never heard that poem and I really like it. I especially like the line, โAnd sweetest in the Gale is heard.โ Itโs amazing how often God gives us the most hope in the darkest storm. Thanks for reminding us of the power of hope!! ๐๐
Thank you, and you’re welcome! ๐ Emily Dickinson poetry is amazing. So is the tea modeled after her writing. ๐
This is beautiful! โค๏ธ I love the connection between the poem and the verse. Emily Dickinsonโs poetry is amazing.
Thank you! Isn’t it?!