Lesson Plan-
HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS
Tell the students that they are going to read the poem Hope is the thing with feathers by the famous
American poet Emily Dickinson. Four lines have been removed and they need to find the right gap for
them
a) That kept so many warm -
b) And on the strangest Sea -
c) That perches in the soul -
d) And sore must be the storm -
“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
_________(1)________
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
_______(2)_________
That could abash the little Bird
_________(3)_______
I’ve heard it in the chilliest land –
_______(4)_______
Yet - never - in Extremity,
Key: A)3, B )4, C) 1, D) 2
Let’s speak:
1. What does the poet compare HOPE with? Why?
2. What does the metaphor "the storm" refer to in the poem?
3. Why do you think the bird "sings the tune without the words"?
4. What is the message of the poem?
5. What gives you hope in time of adveristy?
As a follow up activity, ask your students to work in pairs and write a poem in which the first letter in
each line represents a letter from the word
20