Wordless Tunes

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all.

Emily Dickinson

Because Nature is amazing, here’s “Everything You Need to Know About Feathers ” from the Cornell Lab Bird Academy . “From the fluffy down on a swan chick to the brilliant spiral on a King Bird-of-Paradise tail, feathers are remarkable not just in the way they look to the naked eye, but also for their intricate microstructure.” Not a heavy scholarly piece, this article has plenty of pretty bird pictures to accompany the approachable text.

About the author

Emily Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, into a prominent family with strong ties to its community. After studying at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she briefly attended the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family’s home in Amherst. Evidence suggests that Dickinson lived much of her life in isolation. Considered an eccentric by locals, she developed a penchant for white clothing and was known for her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even to leave her bedroom. Dickinson never married, and most of her friendships were based entirely upon correspondence.