EMILY DICKINSON

Early life ■Born December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. ■Her parents were Edward and Emily Dickinson. Her father was a lawyer and politician. He served as a senator and on the U.S. Congress. While her father was an active politician and member of the community of Amherst, there is little known about her mother. ■Dickinson was one of three children. She had a brother, William, and a sister, Lavinia.

Early life continued… ■Dickinson attended Amherst Academy and later Amherst College. She enjoyed attending lectures on subjects such as astronomy, botany, chemistry, geology, natural history, natural philosophy, and zoology. This emphasis on science appears in Dickinson’s poetry. ■In 1847, Dickinson entered Mounte Holyoke Female Seminary. A year later, Dickinson did not return to Mounte Holyoke. While there is much speculation that surrounds the reason for Dickinson’s departure, many have argued that Dickinson’s reclusiveness started at Mounte Holyoke with common mentions of homesickness in her letters home.

Reclusiveness ■After returning from Mounte Holyoke, Dickinson became increasingly isolated from her social circle. The friends that remained, Dickinson communicated with through letters and fragments of poems. ■When her father died in 1874, it is rumored that she did not want to leave her room for the funeral. After his death, she rarely left her house and garden. ■Dickinson only dressed in white and would not allow neighbors or strangers to visit her. As she grew older her health began to fail. It is said that she only allowed her doctor to observe her from a distance. She died in 1886.

Her poetry ■While Dickinson spent most of her life isolated, she was a deeply energetic and intense person. She expressed this passion through her poetry, which she devoted most of her time to. ■During her time, Dickinson’s style was considered unconventional. Of the 1,775 poems she wrote, only seven were published before her death. Most editors considered her poetry too abstract. Despite this, those who read her poetry did recognize her talent and supported her writing.

Her poetry continued… ■After Dickinson’s death, her sister Lavinia discovered packets of poems in the drawers of Emily’s dresser. Dickinson left instructions to have her poems destroyed after her death. ■Regardless, her family had her poems published in small installments. However, it was not until 1955 that her entire works were published in The Poems of Emily Dickinson, and her genius was fully recognized.