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Hope is the Thing: A Collection of Poems by Emily Dickinson
A collection of poems by Emily Dickinson in a unified narrative.
"I can’t read Emily Dickinson’s poetry without becoming preoccupied with the circumstances under which she wrote, and the place her work held in her solitary life. She worked on her poems meticulously yet never shared them, with few exceptions. Over the course of her life - a life woefully undersized for the scope of her genius - she eventually rejected all forms of meaning-making: religion, community, love, marriage and family. There was one exception: Poetry. Her language, addressed to some future anonymous person who might take the time to truly understand her intent, was her way to reach out to others with hope of communication and connection." - Evan Robertson
Emily Dickinson is often referred to as the Mother of American poetry, and she deserves the title. It's easy to miss some of the wonderful subtleties in her work when the meter carries you away.
"I can’t read Emily Dickinson’s poetry without becoming preoccupied with the circumstances under which she wrote, and the place her work held in her solitary life. She worked on her poems meticulously yet never shared them, with few exceptions. Over the course of her life - a life woefully undersized for the scope of her genius - she eventually rejected all forms of meaning-making: religion, community, love, marriage and family. There was one exception: Poetry. Her language, addressed to some future anonymous person who might take the time to truly understand her intent, was her way to reach out to others with hope of communication and connection." - Evan Robertson
Emily Dickinson is often referred to as the Mother of American poetry, and she deserves the title. It's easy to miss some of the wonderful subtleties in her work when the meter carries you away.
72 pages, Paperback
Published February 4, 2020
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120 people want to read
About the author
Emily Dickinson
1,592 books6,983 followersEmily Dickinson was an American poet who, despite the fact that less than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime, is widely considered one of the most original and influential poets of the 19th century.
Dickinson was born to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. After she studied at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she spent a short time at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's house in Amherst. Thought of as an eccentric by the locals, she became known for her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even leave her room. Most of her friendships were therefore carried out by correspondence.
Although Dickinson was a prolific private poet, fewer than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime.The work that was published during her lifetime was usually altered significantly by the publishers to fit the conventional poetic rules of the time. Dickinson's poems are unique for the era in which she wrote; they contain short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation.Many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality, two recurring topics in letters to her friends.
Although most of her acquaintances were probably aware of Dickinson's writing, it was not until after her death in 1886—when Lavinia, Emily's younger sister, discovered her cache of poems—that the breadth of Dickinson's work became apparent. Her first collection of poetry was published in 1890 by personal acquaintances Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd, both of whom heavily edited the content.
A complete and mostly unaltered collection of her poetry became available for the first time in 1955 when The Poems of Emily Dickinson was published by scholar Thomas H. Johnson. Despite unfavorable reviews and skepticism of her literary prowess during the late 19th and early 20th century, critics now consider Dickinson to be a major American poet.
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/emily-di...
Dickinson was born to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. After she studied at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she spent a short time at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's house in Amherst. Thought of as an eccentric by the locals, she became known for her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even leave her room. Most of her friendships were therefore carried out by correspondence.
Although Dickinson was a prolific private poet, fewer than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime.The work that was published during her lifetime was usually altered significantly by the publishers to fit the conventional poetic rules of the time. Dickinson's poems are unique for the era in which she wrote; they contain short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation.Many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality, two recurring topics in letters to her friends.
Although most of her acquaintances were probably aware of Dickinson's writing, it was not until after her death in 1886—when Lavinia, Emily's younger sister, discovered her cache of poems—that the breadth of Dickinson's work became apparent. Her first collection of poetry was published in 1890 by personal acquaintances Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd, both of whom heavily edited the content.
A complete and mostly unaltered collection of her poetry became available for the first time in 1955 when The Poems of Emily Dickinson was published by scholar Thomas H. Johnson. Despite unfavorable reviews and skepticism of her literary prowess during the late 19th and early 20th century, critics now consider Dickinson to be a major American poet.
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/emily-di...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 3, 2020
Opening lines: ‘This is my letter to the world, that never wrote to me, - The simple news that Nature told, With tender majesty.’
June 7, 2023
A beautiful exploration of some of the principle ideas and themes covered in Emily Dickinson’s poetry. The illustrations are well thought and accompany the poems perfectly. This is my favorite of Obvious State’s poetry books so far.
December 22, 2024
I wish I had a baby to read it to 😭
April 6, 2021
"Some keep the Sabbath going to church;
I keep it staying at home,
With a bobolink for a cloister,
And an orchard for a dome.
Some keep the Sabbath in surplice;
I just wear my wings,
And instead of tolling the bell for church,
Our little sexton sings.
God preaches, - a noted clergyman, -
And the sermon is never long;
So instead of going to heaven at last.
I'm going all along!"
I keep it staying at home,
With a bobolink for a cloister,
And an orchard for a dome.
Some keep the Sabbath in surplice;
I just wear my wings,
And instead of tolling the bell for church,
Our little sexton sings.
God preaches, - a noted clergyman, -
And the sermon is never long;
So instead of going to heaven at last.
I'm going all along!"
March 31, 2020
Emily Dickenson's words are knife-edged, sharp, intense and able to craft a feeling, a mood, a thought, with a deft touch. There is no poet like her. This edition was an excellent way to re-visit her words and moods. It does not disappoint.
May 6, 2024
My favorite poem.
Lovely illustrations.
A prompt to make this poem your own.
What’s not to love?
Lovely illustrations.
A prompt to make this poem your own.
What’s not to love?
July 24, 2025
One poem, one book, one satisfied reader.
January 16, 2023
Stunning. Beautiful. Magnificent. This short collection of Emily Dickinson poems is gorgeously and meticulously illustrated to fit not only the vibe of the specific poem, but the vibe of the specific line or set of lines that appear on the page. The poems themselves were great, of course, but reading it with the illustrations by Evan Robertson made the experience magical. I cannot recommend this enough, please read this!!
March 2, 2020
Spring 2020 (Kickstarter);
I love the art in these unendingly. Set apart, page by page, with each lyric, this whole thing is stunning. Sadly, the same as the Frost book without any poem delineations, everything runs together and ends up feeling jumbled.
I love the art in these unendingly. Set apart, page by page, with each lyric, this whole thing is stunning. Sadly, the same as the Frost book without any poem delineations, everything runs together and ends up feeling jumbled.
April 13, 2020
4.3! Very beautiful writing and aesthetic. I wanted even more inspiration but I was still highly inspired. I really want to work harder on my poetry collection <3 Thanks to my best friend for gifting this to me.
February 11, 2020
Another wonderful collection. All of my favorite Dickinson poems are here, beautifully illustrated. I wish I could paper a wall with this book.
Read
April 6, 2020Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words and never stops at all
And sings the tune without the words and never stops at all
July 31, 2022
Stunning illustrations, beautiful selections of Dickinson’s poetry, and expertly crafted. I enjoyed every second, and I know I’ll return to it again and again. Truly a work of art
October 8, 2025
A lovely poem written in a beautiful way with illustrations.
December 27, 2025
Beautifully designed and illustrated. Meditative.
February 15, 2026
PENDING REVIEW
3.75 - Good
3.75 - Good
March 16, 2026
Such a great book to read to little children as an introduction to poetry! my little 3 month old loves it!
September 21, 2025
In Emily Dickinson's "Hope is a Thing with Feathers," She describes hope as a bird that lives in each of us. The bird sings constantly throughout the poem even through the storms and challenges it faces, while never asking for anything in return. This poem shows us that hope can always survive even when everything is against you.
I liked how this book went line by line and was illustrated to go along with the poem. This would make the poem, an easier text to digest for children or anyone who is starting out reading poetry. I would use this is a read aloud setting when talking about poetry, or figurative language. Students could do an assignment where they have to draw out what the poem means to them with seeing the illustrations of the book. Then after seeing their drawings, I would reread the book while showing them the illustrations.
I liked how this book went line by line and was illustrated to go along with the poem. This would make the poem, an easier text to digest for children or anyone who is starting out reading poetry. I would use this is a read aloud setting when talking about poetry, or figurative language. Students could do an assignment where they have to draw out what the poem means to them with seeing the illustrations of the book. Then after seeing their drawings, I would reread the book while showing them the illustrations.
December 30, 2025
Children's
Picture book
Poetry
Gr 5 hs
Picture book
Poetry
Gr 5 hs
May 25, 2024
I love the concept of poems accompanied by illustrations--and in this case, very colorful and imaginative creations.
"Hope is the Thing With Feathers" is a popular Emily Dickinson poem which gives way to so much figurative language and this is a great tool to use to teach metaphors and personification. The imagery is helpful for younger readers who may still be literal in their reading and thinking to picture that another object may be used to compare to another abstract concept.
Great for teachers and parents who would want to introduce figurative language and good poetry.
"Hope is the Thing With Feathers" is a popular Emily Dickinson poem which gives way to so much figurative language and this is a great tool to use to teach metaphors and personification. The imagery is helpful for younger readers who may still be literal in their reading and thinking to picture that another object may be used to compare to another abstract concept.
Great for teachers and parents who would want to introduce figurative language and good poetry.
May 22, 2025
Thank you to Paw Prints Publishing for the eGalley to review!
What a beautiful tribute to Emily Dickinson's "Hope is the Thing with Feathers"! It's a very simple book, with each line of the poem getting its own lovingly illustrated two-page spread. There is a short bio about Dickinson, a very short glossary for the four big words that some kiddos might not be used to yet, an activity, a quote by Greek philosopher Plutarch about poetry being painting that speaks, and the titular poem in its full, original structure. Perfect for a classroom unit or in a poetry collection.
What a beautiful tribute to Emily Dickinson's "Hope is the Thing with Feathers"! It's a very simple book, with each line of the poem getting its own lovingly illustrated two-page spread. There is a short bio about Dickinson, a very short glossary for the four big words that some kiddos might not be used to yet, an activity, a quote by Greek philosopher Plutarch about poetry being painting that speaks, and the titular poem in its full, original structure. Perfect for a classroom unit or in a poetry collection.
May 14, 2024
It was a brilliant idea to take a well-known and beloved poem, Emily Dickinson's "Hope is the Thing with Feathers," and make it into an illustrated book. The artwork is cute, colorful, and hopeful. I've come across this poem many times, but reading it in this format brought it to life. I even read the poem a second time right after finishing it to relish the words and illustrations all over again. I'd love to see other poems reworked into the picture book realm.
December 11, 2025
Four stars because the hit rate for these poems is great considering Dickinson never necessarily intended them to see the light of day. Would be less if I didn’t love the ones I love so much, though, because the ones I don’t love got a bit tedious. Of course, then a wonderful poem would show up and it would be worth it. Also — the audiobook is not good. Gave it a go but the narration is pretty devoid of feeling imo, and I didn’t think they tempo was right for some poems.
November 27, 2024
Poetry
Grade Level: 2-3
This poem is brought to life through the illustrations and it makes for a good "story". It makes me stop and think about what having hope looks like, and how it relates to the authors display of it. It is inspiring. The word choice can be a little hard to follow, but it is also a good opportunity for learning new vocabulary.
Grade Level: 2-3
This poem is brought to life through the illustrations and it makes for a good "story". It makes me stop and think about what having hope looks like, and how it relates to the authors display of it. It is inspiring. The word choice can be a little hard to follow, but it is also a good opportunity for learning new vocabulary.
July 4, 2025
This is a delightful approach to using one of Emily Dickinson's most well-known and beloved poems with young children. The child-like illustrations, lighthearted use of color and white space, and line-by line depictions on each page capture the genuine hope of the pome and explore many of the language beauties of this classic poem.
April 12, 2024
Such a lovely poem!
Such beautiful illustrations!
Such beautiful illustrations!
May 14, 2024
Beautiful visual accompaniment to the classic poem. Looking very forward to other titles in this series.
August 5, 2024
A great way to introduce young readers to the poetry of Emily Dickinson.
November 10, 2024
Age: 4+
A bird carries its song of hope across the land. The simplicity of this poem's message translates well for children, especially when paired with the clear illustrations.
A bird carries its song of hope across the land. The simplicity of this poem's message translates well for children, especially when paired with the clear illustrations.
May 1, 2025
I absolutely love this poem and the way the brilliant illustrations in this book bring it to life!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews