Dickinson

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

Biographical Information

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (1830-1886), American poet, known as "the New England mystic"; innovator in the use of poetic language, forms, and rhythms; author of 1,775 poems, most published posthumously

Born December 10, 1830 in Amherst, MA; her grandfather was founder of Amherst College; her father was treasurer of the college and U.S. Congressman; both of her parents were cold, distant, severe people

attended Amherst Academy, spent one year (1847-1848) at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley; she resisted Christian indoctrination and returned to the family home in Amherst

1855, visits to Washington and Philadelphia while her father was in Congress; met and was befriended by Rev. Charles Wadsworth, an orthodox Calvinist preacher

correspondence with Wadsworth; also corresponded with Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield Republican; Bowles criticized her poetry but, eventually, a few of her poems were published in his paper

frustrated love for a man she called "Master" (maybe Bowles or Wadsworth) in drafts of her letters

1862, began correspondence with Thomas Wentworth Higginson who showed interest in her poetry but advised her not to publish it; after that she resisted any attempts at the publication of her work

she wrote little until the early 1860's; then wrote prolifically for the rest of her life (1,775 poems in all); the years of the Civil War were her most productive period (800 poems); collected her poems in hand-sewn booklets; experimented with language, syntax, and rhythm (predominance of quatrains in iambic trimeter); conciseness of language

influence of the Metaphysical poets of seventeenth-century England and also writers of the Romantic period like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Emily Brönte; her work shows Romantic ideals and desires mixed with struggles of religious belief and influence of New England Puritanism

during part of 1864 and 1865 spent time in Boston to be treated for eye trouble; during her second visit, she was forbidden to write at all; this scared Dickinson who thought she may go blind

after the late 1860's she never left the family home in Amherst, going no further than her garden gate; by 1870 dressed only in white and refused to see most visitors; Higginson described her as "a little plain woman" with a "soft frightened breathless childlike voice"

Dickinson died May 15, 1886 of Bright's disease, a kidney condition

only seven of her poems were published during her lifetime; she requested that all of her work be burned upon her death but her sister Lavinia turned it over to be published

the bulk of her poetry was published posthumously, beginning with Poems by Emily Dickinson (1890) edited by Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd

the first complete collection of Dickinson's poetry, edited by Thomas H. Johnson, was not published until 1955

Main Works

Poems by Emily Dickinson (1890), edited by Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd
Poems: Second Series (1891)
Poems: Third Series (1896)
Letters of Emily Dickinson (1894)
The Poems of Emily Dickinson, Including Variant Readings Critically Compared with All Known Manuscripts (1955), edited by Thomas H. Johnson

Contexts

Charles Darwin's Origin of Species (1859). The publication of this book prompted much unrest within religious communities because many believed that the theory of natural selection went directly against creation beliefs. Although Dickinson's family followed orthodox Christian belief, she was influenced by Darwin's ideas.

American Civil War (1861-1865). During this time of national unrest the Southern states were divided from the Northern states on economic and social issues including, but not limited to, the problem of slavery. Although Dickinson did not write poems specifically about the Civil War, she felt its influence, as her neighbors in Amherst fought and died in the battles; this was her most productive period.

Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1865), abolishing slavery in America.

Thomas Wentworth Higginson, poetry editor of The Atlantic Monthly. Higginson sent a request to Dickinson requesting to read some of her poetry. Upon receiving four of her poems, Higginson suggested that Dickinson regularize her rhythms and imperfect rhymes. From then until Emily's death, they kept up an epistolary friendship but Dickinson neither took Higginson's editorial advice, nor did she make further efforts to publish her poetry.

Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield Republican, a very influential newspaper in Massachusetts. Bowles was a friend of Dickinson's brother and then of Emily herself. Though a married man, it has been suggested that Dickinson was in love with him. He made many visits to Dickinson at her home during the course of their friendship. He even published some of her poems that were submitted to him, without Dickinson's permission, by her sister-in-law, Susan Gilbert Dickinson.

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HOME INTRO TO LIT AUTHORS & WORKS GLOSSARY TIMELINE INDEX CONTACT INFO CREDITS	Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) Biographical Information Main Works Featured Works: The Poetry of Emily Dickinson Contexts Selected Quotations Links Biographical Information Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (1830-1886), American poet, known as "the New England mystic"; innovator in the use of poetic language, forms, and rhythms; author of 1,775 poems, most published posthumously Born December 10, 1830 in Amherst, MA; her grandfather was founder of Amherst College; her father was treasurer of the college and U.S. Congressman; both of her parents were cold, distant, severe people attended Amherst Academy, spent one year (1847-1848) at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley; she resisted Christian indoctrination and returned to the family home in Amherst 1855, visits to Washington and Philadelphia while her father was in Congress; met and was befriended by Rev. Charles Wadsworth, an orthodox Calvinist preacher correspondence with Wadsworth; also corresponded with Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield Republican; Bowles criticized her poetry but, eventually, a few of her poems were published in his paper frustrated love for a man she called "Master" (maybe Bowles or Wadsworth) in drafts of her letters 1862, began correspondence with Thomas Wentworth Higginson who showed interest in her poetry but advised her not to publish it; after that she resisted any attempts at the publication of her work she wrote little until the early 1860's; then wrote prolifically for the rest of her life (1,775 poems in all); the years of the Civil War were her most productive period (800 poems); collected her poems in hand-sewn booklets; experimented with language, syntax, and rhythm (predominance of quatrains in iambic trimeter); conciseness of language influence of the Metaphysical poets of seventeenth-century England and also writers of the Romantic period like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Emily Brönte; her work shows Romantic ideals and desires mixed with struggles of religious belief and influence of New England Puritanism during part of 1864 and 1865 spent time in Boston to be treated for eye trouble; during her second visit, she was forbidden to write at all; this scared Dickinson who thought she may go blind after the late 1860's she never left the family home in Amherst, going no further than her garden gate; by 1870 dressed only in white and refused to see most visitors; Higginson described her as "a little plain woman" with a "soft frightened breathless childlike voice" Dickinson died May 15, 1886 of Bright's disease, a kidney condition only seven of her poems were published during her lifetime; she requested that all of her work be burned upon her death but her sister Lavinia turned it over to be published the bulk of her poetry was published posthumously, beginning with Poems by Emily Dickinson (1890) edited by Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd the first complete collection of Dickinson's poetry, edited by Thomas H. Johnson, was not published until 1955 Main Works Poems by Emily Dickinson (1890), edited by Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd Poems: Second Series (1891) Poems: Third Series (1896) Letters of Emily Dickinson (1894) The Poems of Emily Dickinson, Including Variant Readings Critically Compared with All Known Manuscripts (1955), edited by Thomas H. Johnson Contexts Charles Darwin's Origin of Species (1859). The publication of this book prompted much unrest within religious communities because many believed that the theory of natural selection went directly against creation beliefs. Although Dickinson's family followed orthodox Christian belief, she was influenced by Darwin's ideas. American Civil War (1861-1865). During this time of national unrest the Southern states were divided from the Northern states on economic and social issues including, but not limited to, the problem of slavery. Although Dickinson did not write poems specifically about the Civil War, she felt its influence, as her neighbors in Amherst fought and died in the battles; this was her most productive period. Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1865), abolishing slavery in America. Thomas Wentworth Higginson, poetry editor of The Atlantic Monthly. Higginson sent a request to Dickinson requesting to read some of her poetry. Upon receiving four of her poems, Higginson suggested that Dickinson regularize her rhythms and imperfect rhymes. From then until Emily's death, they kept up an epistolary friendship but Dickinson neither took Higginson's editorial advice, nor did she make further efforts to publish her poetry. Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield Republican, a very influential newspaper in Massachusetts. Bowles was a friend of Dickinson's brother and then of Emily herself. Though a married man, it has been suggested that Dickinson was in love with him. He made many visits to Dickinson at her home during the course of their friendship. He even published some of her poems that were submitted to him, without Dickinson's permission, by her sister-in-law, Susan Gilbert Dickinson. Selected Quotations to come Links to come © 2001 by Fidel Fajardo-Acosta, all rights reserved
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