The Power of Hope希望的力量
Hope is the thing with feathers/ 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,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash (驚訝) 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 (碎屑) of me.
 
希望鑲著羽毛
希望鑲著羽毛
棲在靈魂裏，
唱著無詞的樂曲，
從來不停息，
風越大聲越甜；
尋常的風暴
休想嚇倒這隻
溫暖眾生的小鳥。
我曾聽它在最寒帶，
最遙遠的海外；
卻從不因為潦倒，
像我乞討絲毫。
     The poetess, Emily Dickinson, uses the concrete and physical image of a bird to show the abstract idea of hope. Feathers represent hope because they allow us to fly, to be free and happy, while despair is a terrible weight for our soul. Hope is compared to a small bird that sings a tune even in the most powerful storm.
     Hope has feathers and it can, like a bird, perch in the human soul. Feathers are soft and gentle to the touch, but they are also strong in flight, even on tiny birds. And feathers are made up of complex individual fibers; unity is strength. Not only is hope feathery, it can sing. It sits on a perch and sings the whole time. But the song is special, for there are no words and no diction for anyone to understand rationally. It’s as if hope is pure song, pure feeling, and a deep-seated longing that can take flight at any time. Hope is always singing, but it sings the sweetest when the going gets rough and the gale (大風) starts to blow. So, when life is hard, things are thrown at us, and the pressure is relentless (無情的), there is hope, singing through the chaos and in disorder. The speaker has heard the bird during the hardest, coldest times, when emotions are jumbled (混亂) and life is obscure (晦澀的). But even when things are extreme, hope is still there and it never asks for anything. Hope gives us much, but never asks for a crumb (碎屑) in return. It is all inspirational, yet slightly mysterious. Hope wells up (湧出) in the heart and soul, yet who knows where it comes from? Philosophy, religion, psychology and even metaphor are not sufficient. And there is only an abstract nature to hope. However, it can give us strength to carry on in the most adverse (有害的) conditions. Its voice can be heard, despite the noise at the height of the storm.
In “Hope is the thing with feathers” (1861), hope is metaphorically transformed into a strong-willed bird that lives within the human soul, and sings its song no matter what. Essentially, the poem seeks to remind readers of the power of hope, and how little it requires from people. Hope has been helpful in times of difficulty and has never asked for anything in return. Hope is as a feathered creature that dwells inside the human spirit. This feathery thing sings a wordless tune, not stopping under any circumstances. Its tune sounds best when it is heard in fierce winds. Even an incredibly severe storm cannot stop this bird from singing. Thus, this hope bird has made many people feel warm. The speaker has heard the bird’s singing in the coldest places, and on the weirdest seas. But in the speaker’s experiences, even the most extreme ones, the bird has never asked for anything in return. The poem wants the reader to look afresh (重新) at hope, to see hope with clear eyes, but not to take it for granted. The soul itself is hope’s home. Hope is thus directly linked with the human spirit, where it sings without ever stopping. This perseverance, then, is a representation of humanity’s infinite capacity for hope. Even in the depths of despair, people can still have hope. And this hope will sustain them. Indeed, the bird sings “sweetest” in the storm. In other words, hope shows its importance in times of adversity and it guides people through difficulties. This point can apply to humanity’s challenges and experiences, such as grief and loss. In fact, hope gives people the strength to carry on, and it’s at its most useful when circumstances are at their worst.
Although hope is so essential to human life, the beauty of it is that it requires practically nothing of people. Hope costs nothing, not a “crumb,” yet it can literally and figuratively keep people alive. With hope, people can make it through the hardest of times. Overall, “Hope is the thing with feathers” implores (懇求) its readers to value their capacity for hope, and to recognize that hope is never really gone. All in all, hope can be especially helpful in the most extreme situations, and people should, therefore, rely on it as a precious resource.

Powered by Firstory Hosting