Content and Style in Emily Dickinson's Poems — Quiz
Question 2 • Literature and Composition I
Read "Hope is the thing with feathers" by Emily Dickinson. 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. Which is true about this poem? Choose three correct answers.
Answer
A
This poem compares a feeling to an animal.
B
This poem contains an extended metaphor.
C
This poem is a tribute to a small bird.
D
This poem uses similes to compare objects.
E
This poem directly compares unlike things.
Explanation
The poem describes hope as “the thing with feathers” and then as a bird that perches, sings, and withstands storms. This compares a feeling to an animal, so A is true; because the comparison continues throughout the poem, it is an extended metaphor, so B is true. A metaphor directly compares unlike things without using “like” or “as,” making E true. The poem does not use similes, and its focus is hope rather than a tribute to an actual bird.
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