QuoteQuest“"Hope" is the thing with feathers — That perches in the soul.”
— Emily Dickinson, 1861
Verification
VerifiedWording confirmed against a primary source.
Matches Dickinson's manuscript as presented by the Emily Dickinson Archive; early editions altered punctuation.
Source
- Title
- "Hope" is the thing with feathers (Poems, 1891)
- Type
- poem · Primary source
- Date
- c. 1861; published 1891
- Location
- Lines 1–2
- Held by
- Emily Dickinson Archive
Context
Written around 1861 and published after Dickinson's death.
What it means
Hope is pictured as a small bird that lives quietly inside us.
Cite this source
Dickinson, Emily. (c. 1861; published 1891). "Hope" is the thing with feathers (Poems, 1891). Emily Dickinson Archive. https://www.edickinson.org/
Check citations against your institution's style guide; some details may be missing.
Provenance: Manually entered from the Emily Dickinson Archive.