Hope is a strange invention

“Hope is a strange invention” is better understood when placed within the context of three of Dickinson’s poems that begin with the syntactical structure “Hope is….” Dickinson wrote “Hope is a thing with feathers” around 1861, though it was eventually published in 1891. During the time in which this poem was written, Dickinson was becoming a recluse while “America was experiencing the social, political, and military crisis of the Civil War” (“‘Hope’ Is The Thing With Feathers.” Encyclopedia.com, 2019). This first poem approaches the concept of hope with a similarly optimistic outlook as “Hope is a strange invention,” expressing the viability of hope and its perseverance despite any “storm” (Line 6). In this case, “storm” could refer to the impending Civil War.

While “Hope is a strange invention” was written after the Civil War ended in 1865, the nation was still healing from the turbulence and suffering incurred between 1861 and 1865. Also, 1873 through 1879 in the United States saw the Long Depression and Reconstruction from 1865–1877. During Reconstruction, the nation attempted to reintegrate the 11 states of the Confederacy back into the Union and restructure society after slavery ended. Dickinson maintains her optimistic sense of hope in her poem written during this period, despite the turmoil that continued to surround her and threaten the world outside of her home in Amherst.

Around 1881, Dickinson was only a few years away from the end of her life by the time she wrote “Hope is a subtle glutton.” By then, she lived through many life experiences, including the assassination of the 20th U.S. president, James A. Garfield, in 1881. Perhaps because of this, the tone of this poem shifts from one of optimism to one dripping with pessimism.