Poetic Moments


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 is 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.

Emily Dickinson, 
1830 - 1866


***

After being away on holiday,
I felt like coming back to simplicity today
with a short blog entry 
and two black and white images
which both speak to me on this quiet Sunday morning.

The lovely poem is by one of my favourite American poets:




22 comments

  1. “Yet never in extremity it asked a crumb of me.”

    Such meaning hidden in this line. It knew Who fed it and where to go to get it. It didn’t need to ask her. I am guessing that’s what she meant?

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    1. I believe that we read between the lines of poetry, taking the meanings that might seem important to us at the moment.

      Emily Dickinson's poem here is full of figurative language, this poem is an extended metaphor, transforming hope into a bird (the poet loved birds) that is ever present in the human soul. It sings, especially when times get tough. Hope springs eternal, might be a reasonable summing up.

      So I think that the words are not to be taken literally, but more symbolically.

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  2. Absolutely beautiful blog post....I love it. My little dog seems to find little feathers on our walks, and has to look at them, which result in them sticking to his nose, such a funny little thing he is. Nature is truly magical.

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    1. So glad you like this blog post, Sue! I was just going with my own feelings as to the subject. I do like feathers very much and then I thought of the poem!
      It sounds like your little dog is a real feather fan too!

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  3. Perfect post for a lazy Sunday. Feathers are always fun to find and causes one's imagination to run wild. Thanks for the email and no problem that you forgot....I hope you have a magical week ahead.....

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    1. Thanks, Nancy. So nice to have you visit. I often see feathers on my walks. I especially love little soft downy ones!

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  4. Lovely. I hope you had a good holiday.

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    1. Thanks, Sarah. I had an interesting holiday and visited places that I've never been to before, like Greece and Dubrovnik!

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  5. Beautiful pictures and a beautiful poem to go with them. PERFECTLY FEATHERY.
    Hugs, Sarn xxx

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    1. Thanks, Sarn! Aren't feathers gorgeous? I even have a feather stamp in my collection!

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  6. Beautiful words, and such lovely photographs to go with them.
    I hope you had a wonderful holiday, Sandra.

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    1. Thank you, Lisa! We had an interesting holiday with lots of visits down the Adriatic Sea. Thank you!

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  7. Such gorgeous shots! And they match the poem (one of my favourites).

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    1. Thanks, Fi. Glad you love this poem too!

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  8. It is a lovely poem, and beautiful black and white photos to go with it. I love the fluffy feathers and the water dripping from the swans beak. I hope you had a wonderful holiday. Enjoy the rest of your week!

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    1. Thank you, Michelle, for your visit! I had an interesting holiday, thank you!

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  9. Beautiful, peaceful post. Being away can certainly be tiring. I just mentioned to Jerry that the older I get the more tired I get when I have fun!

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  10. Thank you, Cathy. Sometimes we just need to return to simplicity and quiet to find ourselves again

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  11. short entries are nice
    and yours is lovely

    i hope you enjoyed your time away
    ~

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    1. Thanks, Tammie. Yes, short entries feel good for a change and are so restful to do! I saw some interesting places on my time away. Thank you. It's nice to be home also!

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  12. Odd, how touching a picture with mere feathers can be... What's it with feathers that moves us this much?

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    1. Many things can touch us depending on who we are and maybe our mood. I find that tiny, downy feathers are touching and maybe this poem by Emily Dickinson touches us too. Thank you for your visit, Marjan!

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