Emily Dickinson

Born into a wealthy and religious family in Amherst, Mass. – obedient and well- behaved – father is important politician, so she takes part in community and family events – learned to cook, sew and manage a household. Attended Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary, a boarding school, but did not take part in activities much – described herself as a “mourner among children.” – dropped out after a year because she was homesick.

Emily fell in love with a married man when she was 24 (he died of TB later that year) – to avoid scandal, father (now a Congressman) took her to Washington and Philadelphia. The trip was not successful. While in Philadelphia, Emily fell in love with Charles Wadsworth, the pastor of the Arch Street Presbyterian Church. He asked to be transferred to San Fransisco. Emily is destroyed.

1862 – Dickinson withdraws from society and is rarely seen outside her home – dresses only in white now, like the bride she will not be - maintains contact with friends by sending them baked goods and a poem for special occasions. Mentored by Thomas Higginson of the Atlantic Monthly – she wrote to him: “I’m nobody! Who are you? / Are you nobody too?

Dickinson’s poetry is typically brief – only seven were published in her lifetime (anonymously). Instructed her family to destroy the poetry when she died, but they discovered bundles and bundles of poems. The family assembled and edited the poems and began to publish their edited pieces. Students of Am. Lit. studied the edited versions until Dickinson wrote 1,775 poems in her lifetime.