Emily Dickinson A Life in Poems

Who Was She? Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, 1830 Prominent, but not wealthy, family Grandfather founded Amherst College Father a businessman Well educated for a girl in Victorian America One of three children, she had a brother and a sister Seen by her teachers as unusually bright, a good scholar, and someone who asked questions, particularly about science Began to be troubled by death when several relatives and family friends died in a typhus epidemic Who Was She?

Sent by family to Boston to recover from severe “melancholia” in 1844 She returned refreshed and able to return to her studies A revival of faith his Amherst in 1845. Dickinson watched large numbers of her peers testify that they had “found God,” but she never made a formal declaration of faith She later said that it was her "greatest pleasure to commune alone with the great God & to feel that he would listen to my prayers.“ But, she did not see God as did her relatives and friends. In 1847, Dickinson was admitted to Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, a “Seven Sisters” school (Ivy League for girls) Who Was She?

Who Was She? She lasted only ten months at Mt. Holyoke Why? Various reasons were given: she was in poor health; her father wanted to have her at home; she rebelled against the evangelical fervor present at the school; she disliked the discipline-minded teachers; or she was simply homesick When she returned home, she took up her role as a good Victorian unwed girl—housekeeper for her parents. Who Was She?

The Victorians Repressed sexually (Queen Victoria’s apocryphal advice to her daughter) Obsessed with image Nationalistic Strange combination of religion and science warring with one another

Fashion reflects ethos—covered up, restrained, contained Battles over social Darwinism, evolution, and advances in science as well as the religious implications of each of these Women, in Victorian England and America, had begun to agitate for more rights, but were still held to rigid standards of behavior Unmarried women whose families had money were expected to stay at the family home and do charitable work as well as manage the house The Victorians

Emily Dickinson: The Poet She was well read in contemporary literature as well as what she had studied in school She read and understood the Bible She possible fell in love twice: once a junior lawyer in her father’s firm; once a newspaper writer. There is no evidence of romance in either case She began writing poetry at an early age. Her output rose as her isolation grew Thomas Higginson, a radical editor and abolitionist, published a few of her poems in the 1860’s Her actual seclusion began in the 1860’s, extending until her death Emily Dickinson: The Poet

Dickinson became the subject of speculation as she withdrew She began to be called “The Recluse” or the “Woman in White” because she isolated herself and was often seen in a white dress through the windows or in the garden She may have found a late-life romance with Otis Lord, beginning in 1877 when his wife died, but their letters were destroyed, so it is speculation Her sister Lavinia burned all of Dickinson’s letters after her death Dickinson died in 1886, probably a result of pneumonia or a stomach ailment The “Woman in White”

Dickinson’s works—hand written manuscripts sewn together into volumes with no actual titles—were gathered First volume published in 1890 All volumes were financial successes and highly influential First scholarly publication (all poems and commentary from experts) was not until 1950 Dickinson is considered one of the best American writers—not one of the best American women writers Legacy

Simply put, Dickinson wrote about her life, but, as usual, it is more complicated than that Nature Love Ambition Death Success Failure God And almost anything else that she thought about during her life Subject Matter