Hope: Similarities and differences between Emily and Elizabeth's poems? ?

Question

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 chilliest land

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

--Emily Dickinson

*****

The Thing With Feathers

Hope is a horny outgrowth

of the heart, a central axis

along which you branch.

Inside, a hollow portion known

as emptiness. And a solid barb-bearing

part called the self, where

contour feathers grow – large, crude,

capable of much flapping. Surrounded

by small stunted hairlike feathers

of soft down, for insulation. When dry,

they leave a waxy powder you polish

each day with your tongue.

You dust yourself off, l**k

your plumes, gaudy or plain,

it doesn’t matter. You hold them

in front of you, crooked

like the wing of a swan.

-- Elizabeth Zetlin

Answer 1

Yes !! What a contrast, The classic poetic beauty of Emily Dickinson and the almost gothic style of Elizabeth Zetlin. Can they really both be writing about the same thing !?

Thomas Hardy's "Darkling Thrush" is uncannily similar to the former !

Answer 2

I am now reading David Lehman's BEST AMERICAN POETRY 2007. In the foreword, he points out that parody has always made for good poetry. Here, we see how Ms. Dickinson is a pure soul and Ms. Zetlin is a jester, a mimicking fool. Both are good writers, but who ever heard of Elizabeth Zetlin?

Answer 3

PP: Do you know why I pulled you over, Mr Ari?

A: Yes, Officer.

PP: Huh?

A: You've pulled me over so that all your contacts will hopefully read this question and then deliver a well thought out answer.

PP: Huh?

A: Thanks, Officer. Have a nice day.

Answer 4

This is very interesting, thank you for posting