Who is Emily Dickinson? Mikenzie Woodie Mrs. Gottfried September 2011 English 3 “He ate and drank the precious Words, his Spirit grew robust; He knew no more that he was poor, nor that his frame was Dust.” - Emily Dickinson

Biography  Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA in  Her friends and family had much influence on her poetry.  Nearly ever left her house  She didn’t have many visitor’s  Went to Mount Holyoke Female Siminary (in south Hadley)  1860,Lived in almost complete isolation from the world, except for letters and literature

Emily Dickinson

Family  Mother: Emily Dickinson  Father: Edward Dickinson o State and national politics  Sister: Lavina Dickinson o Lived in isolation aslo o Very bright companion of Emily  Brother: Austin Dickinson o Law school; later became and attorney o Married Susan gilbert o Aslo a companion of Emily

Biography  On June 16, 1874, Edward Dickinson (father) died of a stroke. “ his heart was pure and terrible,” she wrote of her father.  On June 15, 1875, (only a year later) Emily’s mother had a stroke but didn’t die from it. As she mourned of her mothers stroke she wrote’ “ home is so far from home.”  Emily Dickinson is regarded as one of America’s greatest poets and is well know for her life of self seclusion. She wrote poetry of power: questioning the nature of death and etc. Her poetry was enough to move her readers.

Important facts  Emily was isolated the majority of her life and never had her own family. She had enough time on her hands to write about her issues, family, her religion and everything she thought to be important.  Her poetry brought out many controversies and helped readers to understand what they take for granted.  Emily’s poems were meaningful and had lots of great literature in them.  Her poetry went unpublished until after she died on May 15, 1886

These are the days when birds come back by: Emily Dickinson These are the days when birds come back, A very few, a bird or two, To take a backward look. These are the days when skies put on The old, old sophistries of June,-- A blue and gold mistake. Oh, fraud that cannot cheat the bee, Almost thy plausibility Induces my belief, Till ranks of seeds their witness bear, And softly through the altered air Hurries a timid leaf! Oh, sacrament of summer days, Oh, last communion in the haze, Permit a child to join, Thy sacred emblems to partake, Thy consecrated bread to break, Taste thine immortal wine!

Meaning & Explanation  It relates to the changing of the seasons to the way we rush through life.  Its an over view of natures unpredictability.  The poem looks backwards; such as, those who are old now are looking back on their lives-they are the birds- and they realize it was a mistake to rush through it so quickly.

Poetic devices  Personification: remembering life  Slant rhyme: “Oh, fraud that cannot cheat the bee” and “induces my belief”  Hyperbole: “these are the days when birds come back, to take a backward look” ( looking back on their life)  Symbol: “ Oh, sacrament of summer days” (Indian summer)

Emily Dickinson

Work cited  ly_dickinson.html ly_dickinson.html  ilydickinson/ ilydickinson/10082