Hope

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.

---Emily Dickinson

Hope is not only something we as educators always want to keep perched in our own souls but it is also something we want to help instill in our students. We want to help them see that it is hope that will help them overcome any adversity or obstacle that confronts them. In fact, hope sings its sweetest song during a "storm."

Note: There is a 2008 Newbery Honor Book, Feathers, by Jacqueline Woodson that uses this poem as its them.