Thanks
to Paul at these 4 corners for hosting Poetry Friday this week!
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* * * *
Several weeks ago, I read a wonderful blog post by
Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup
about great gift ideas for poetry lovers. I found much that I coveted, but one
item in particular caught my eye—a pendant necklace with the first stanza of one
of my favorite poems inscribed upon it—so I ordered it as a gift for myself. (Which
is not something I do very often, by the way.☺)
Here is a picture of the necklace, and below is the
poem inscribed upon it, written by Emily Dickinson, who was born on December 10,
1830.
You can order this necklace here.
“Hope”
is the Thing with Feathers
by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
“Hope”
is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all,
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.
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.
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
Emily Dickinson is one of my favorite poets of all
time, and I’ve loved this poem from the very first time I read it, which was
sometime in high school if I remember correctly. “Hope” is so important in our
lives as writers, teachers, parents, etc., and the words of Dickinson’s poem remind
us to hold on to hope despite the obstacles that arise so often in our paths.
So excited to hear you ordered this as a gift to yourself, Becky! Such a timeless poem, often quoted. Have you worn the necklace yet?
ReplyDeleteYes, Jama, I have worn it several times! Thanks again!
DeleteWhat an inspirational necklace! So glad you got it :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tabatha!
DeleteI love that necklace - it's a perfect reminder, worn close to the heart, about hope. And who else but Dickinson could say it quite like that - "the thing with feathers" - ? Happy Birthday, Emily (well, I'm a day late now, but all the same....)
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting it, Becky - it's one of my favorites.
Thank you, Julie!
DeleteI read this one with my eighth graders a couple of weeks ago. It's a favorite of mine.
ReplyDeleteI like how accessible the poem is to all ages, and how the meaning can change and grow with time. That is one of the things that makes good poetry!
DeleteThat is such a great poem! And a really neat necklace. I'm glad you gifted it to yourself, we all need to do that from time to time.
ReplyDeleteYes! It was a first for me!
DeleteDickinson is one of my favorites too. The guy she used to send her poems to would send her back suggestions on how to fix them. He later published her poems, but he changed a lot of them to fit more in line with the poetry of the day. Thankfully, we later got her originals.
ReplyDeleteSo glad that the originals resurfaced. I actually did not know this, Johnell--I am interested to learn more. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteGreat poem and how lovely that you gave yourself a gift! We need to do that now and then, don't we?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! Thanks for stopping by, Mary Lee!
DeleteOh my goodness! I absolutely love that line and the pendant is amazing. I am so glad you ordered one for yourself and I might just order myself one too! So awesome!! Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDelete