Hope is the thing with feathers

''Hope'' is the thing with a feather-

That perches in the soul-

And sings the tune without the words-

And never stops at all 4

And sweetest-in the gale-is heard-

And sore must be the storm-

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm- 8

I've heard it in the chilliest land-

and on the strangest sea-

Yet-never-in extremity,

It asked a crumb- of time. 12