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.

ive heard it in the chillest land,
and on the strangest sea;
yet, never, in extremity,
it asked a crumb of me.

• hope is the thing with feathers.

consider the word choice in the second stanza, and then answer the questions.
the denotation of gale is a strong wind. what is the connotation of gale as it is used in the second stanza of the poem? a destructive wind
how would the poems meaning change if dickinson had used the word breeze instead? hope would seem more powerful; hope would be seen unbeatable; hope would seem less powerful

Explanation:

A gale is strong and destructive, while a breeze is gentle. Using "breeze" would make hope seem less powerful as it's a weaker - force word.

Answer:

Hope would seem less powerful.