Emily Dickinson was one of the most original and influential American poets of the 19th century. She wrote nearly 1,800 poems, most of which were unpublished during her lifetime. She lived a secluded and solitary life, rarely leaving her home in Amherst, Massachusetts. She was known for her unconventional style, her profound insights, and her mysterious personality. In this article, we will explore the life and work of Emily Dickinson, from her childhood to her legacy.
Early Life and Education
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. She was the second of three children of Edward Dickinson and Emily Norcross Dickinson. Her father was a prominent lawyer, politician, and treasurer of Amherst College. Her mother was a quiet and reserved housewife. Emily had a close bond with her older brother, Austin, and her younger sister, Lavinia.
Emily attended the Amherst Academy, a coeducational school, from 1840 to 1847. There she received a classical education, studying Latin, Greek, history, literature, and science. She also developed a love for reading and writing poetry. She was influenced by the works of William Shakespeare, John Milton, Alexander Pope, and Isaac Watts.
In 1847, Emily enrolled at the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (now Mount Holyoke College), a prestigious women’s college in South Hadley, Massachusetts. However, she only stayed there for one year, due to her poor health and homesickness. She returned to her family’s home in Amherst in 1848.
Writing Career and Seclusion
Emily began to write poems seriously in the late 1850s. She wrote on various topics, such as nature, love, death, immortality, faith, doubt, and art. She experimented with different forms and techniques, such as short lines, slant rhyme, dashes, and capitalization. She often used metaphors, symbols, paradoxes, and irony to express her thoughts and feelings.
Emily did not seek fame or recognition for her poems. She only published about 10 of them anonymously in newspapers or magazines during her lifetime. She mostly shared her poems with her friends and family through letters or hand-sewn booklets called fascicles. She made about 40 fascicles containing nearly 800 poems.
Emily became increasingly reclusive in the 1860s. She rarely left her home or received visitors. She preferred to communicate through letters or notes. She often wore white dresses and spent most of her time in her bedroom or garden. She devoted herself to writing poetry and taking care of her family.
Some of the reasons for Emily’s seclusion may have been her personal losses, her health problems, her religious doubts, and her desire for privacy. She also may have felt alienated from the society of her time, which was marked by the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, and the rise of urbanization.
Death and Legacy
Emily died on May 15, 1886, at the age of 55. The cause of her death was likely kidney disease or heart failure. She was buried in the West Cemetery in Amherst.
After Emily’s death, her sister Lavinia discovered her cache of poems in her bedroom. Lavinia decided to publish them with the help of some friends and acquaintances. The first collection of Emily’s poems came out in 1890. However, the editors altered many of the poems to fit the conventional poetic standards of the time.
It was not until 1955 that a complete and accurate edition of Emily’s poems was published by Thomas H. Johnson. Since then, Emily’s poems have been widely read and admired by critics and readers alike. She has been recognized as one of the greatest American poets and one of the most original voices in world literature.
Emily’s poems have inspired many artists and writers from different genres and backgrounds. Some of them include Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, Sylvia Plath, Adrienne Rich, Susan Howe, Joyce Carol Oates, Billy Collins, Cynthia Nixon, etc.
Emily’s life and work have also been the subject of many biographies, films, plays, musicals, operas, etc.
Summary
Emily Dickinson was an American poet who lived a secluded and solitary life in Amherst, Massachusetts. She wrote nearly 1 800 poems on various topics such as nature love death immortality faith doubt and art. She experimented with different forms and techniques such as short lines slant rhyme dashes and capitalization. She only published about 10 of her poems anonymously during her lifetime. She mostly shared her poems with her friends and family through letters or hand-sewn booklets called fascicles. She died in 1886 at the age of 55. Her poems were discovered and published after her death. She is now regarded as one of the most original and influential American poets of all time.
Here is a table that summarizes some of the information about Emily Dickinson:
| Name | Emily Dickinson |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | December 10, 1830 |
| Place of Birth | Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Protestant (with doubts) |
| Height | 5 feet 2 inches |
| Weight | Unknown |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Education | Amherst Academy, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Number of Poems | Nearly 1,800 |
| Number of Published Poems (in her lifetime) | About 10 |
| Number of Fascicles | About 40 |
| Major Themes | Nature, love, death, immortality, faith, doubt, art |
| Major Influences | William Shakespeare, John Milton, Alexander Pope, Isaac Watts |
| Major Innovations | Short lines, slant rhyme, dashes, capitalization |
| Family | Edward Dickinson (father), Emily Norcross Dickinson (mother), Austin Dickinson (brother), Lavinia Dickinson (sister) |
| Residence | The Homestead (family home in Amherst) |
| Date of Death | May 15, 1886 |
| Cause of Death | Kidney disease or heart failure |
| Place of Burial | West Cemetery in Amherst |