5.17.T - Lesson: Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson

Question 1

Dickinson’s work was well-known and well-loved during her lifetime.
True
False

Answer 1

False

Question 1

A common subject in Emily Dickinson’s poetry is death and mortality.
True
False

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Which of these statements about “I heard a Fly buzz when I died” is accurate?
The poem assumes that there is always a buzzing fly near a dying person.
The poem provides a comforting image of death.
The poem contradicts the popular “sentimental death scene” of the day.
The poem suggests that angels are really flies.

Answer 2

The poem contradicts the popular “sentimental death scene” of the day.

Question 3

In poetry, a paradox is something that seems self-contradictory. Which of the following is a paradox in “I heard a Fly buzz?”

The poem finally ends with a complete rhyme, but then throws in a note of uncertainty with that dash (-) after the last word.
The rhythm of the poem is consistent.
The loved ones in the poem aren’t saying anything.
The fly represents nature, but flies are the worst part of nature.

Answer 3

The poem finally ends with a complete rhyme, but then throws in a note of uncertainty with that dash (-) after the last word.

Question 4

According to “Success is counted sweetest,” what is the key to appreciating the “nectar” of success?
Dying
Failing
Winning a battle
Working hard

Answer 4

Failing

Question 5

Re-read this first stanza of the Dickinson poem.

‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

In 2–3 sentences, summarize what you think this stanza means. According to this stanza, how does ‘hope’ operate? To what animal is the stanza comparing hope?

Answer 5

Your Answer:
Hope is compared to a bird. This bird or hope perches on the soul and is always there.

Question 6

Re-read the second stanza of the Dickinson poem.

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -

In 2–3 sentences, summarize what you think this stanza means. According to this stanza, how else does ‘hope’ operate?

Answer 6

Your Answer:
Hope operates during life’s great storms. It then seeks to give warmth to people who can not obtain it anywhere else.

Question 7

Re-read the third and final stanza of the Dickinson poem.

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.

In 2–3 sentences, summarize what you think this stanza means. How else does ‘hope’ operate?

Answer 7

Your Answer:
Hope operates as something that does so much for us even when we don’t realize it. Yet even through the most challenging parts of life, it asks for nothing.

Question 8

“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” is essentially one long metaphor. Remember, a metaphor is a comparison between two things (without using the words “like” or “as”). Dickinson compares hope with a “little Bird.”

Why does Dickinson choose a “little Bird” to symbolize hope? Do you agree with her? Do you think this is a biblical perspective on hope?

In 3–5 sentences (total), give your thoughtful answers to these questions.

Answer 8

Your Answer:
The little bird symbolizes hope because, like in real life, birds may seem fragile, but they are so sturdy that they can survive terrible storms. Dickinson chooses a bird because It offers hope, just like in many biblical stories, such as Noah’s flood or when the holy spirit descended from heaven in dove form. Therefore, a bird symbolizes hope.