March is nationally recognized as Women’s History Month and next Tuesday is International Women’s Day. We’ll be celebrating by highlighting a weekly series of women’s poetry and a short, little-known fact about a pioneering woman from our history. This series will appear each Friday in March. Comment and let us know which are your favorites poems, or share a new poem with us! Today’s fun fact highlights Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) and the poems were written by the infamous Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) .
Did you know?
Eleanor Roosevelt held women-only press conferences for women reporters who were excluded from the media at the time. She
started this tradition, the first of its kind, by keeping the topics to non-political issues, but gradually eased those hot topics into the press conferences too. In addition to this pioneering effort, she was an accomplished humanitarian for many causes including civil rights for African Americans and Asian Americans, finding resources for the underserved population and human rights for WWII refugees.
‘Hope’ is the Thing with Feathers
‘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.
“Nature” is what we see—
The Hill—the Afternoon—
Squirrel—Eclipse—the Bumble bee—
Nay—Nature is Heaven—
Nature is what we hear—
The Bobolink—the Sea—
Thunder—the Cricket—
Nay—Nature is Harmony—
Nature is what we know—
Yet have no art to say—
So impotent Our Wisdom is
To her Simplicity.
This is my letter to the World
This is my letter to the World
That never wrote to Me–
The simple News that Nature told–
With tender Majesty
Her Message is committed
To Hands I cannot see–
For love of Her– Sweet– countrymen–
Judge tenderly– of Me