Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson ( )  Known for her sometimes sad, reserved nature, looking back on her childhood, she described herself as a “mourner among the children.”  Grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts.  Known for her sometimes sad, reserved nature, looking back on her childhood, she described herself as a “mourner among the children.”  Grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Emily Dickinson  She never married, but scholars continue to speculate and comb through recently discovered letters, with theories about people she may have been drawn to. One common conclusion is that her love life—if any—was often filled with disappointment.  However, many of her poems are about the nature of love.  Freaky Facts: In later years, she was known for only wearing white dresses. Also, she was a highly skilled pianist!  She never married, but scholars continue to speculate and comb through recently discovered letters, with theories about people she may have been drawn to. One common conclusion is that her love life—if any—was often filled with disappointment.  However, many of her poems are about the nature of love.  Freaky Facts: In later years, she was known for only wearing white dresses. Also, she was a highly skilled pianist!

 Later in life, she withdrew from social life and lived in seclusion. In fact, later in her life, she rarely left her room—choosing to communicate with others through letters or sometimes even talking to visitors through her bedroom door.

Emily Dickinson  Many of her poems address death  She lost many friends and family members early in her life and constantly questioned the nature of mortality and death.  Many of her poems address death  She lost many friends and family members early in her life and constantly questioned the nature of mortality and death. “Dying is a wild night and a new road. “

Emily Dickinson  Besides love and death, the other main category of her poems is nature.  She was an extremely skillful gardener and studied botany in college and even assembled an extensive herbarium (a book of pressed plants) that included more than 400 specimens, and she labeled each with its Latin name.  Besides love and death, the other main category of her poems is nature.  She was an extremely skillful gardener and studied botany in college and even assembled an extensive herbarium (a book of pressed plants) that included more than 400 specimens, and she labeled each with its Latin name.

Emily Dickinson  She wrote 1,800 poems, but only a handful were published while she was alive. She even told her family to destroy her poems after she died.  However, she rewrote clean copies of her poems and carefully bundled them into manuscripts, which suggests she may have dreamed of a larger audience.  She died at 55 in 1886, and her sister Lavinia began to have them published.  She wrote 1,800 poems, but only a handful were published while she was alive. She even told her family to destroy her poems after she died.  However, she rewrote clean copies of her poems and carefully bundled them into manuscripts, which suggests she may have dreamed of a larger audience.  She died at 55 in 1886, and her sister Lavinia began to have them published.

Emily Dickinson  Though she began writing in the Romantic era, her poems broke away from the conventions of the Fireside poets.  Her style was seen as very unconventional—using a lot of dashes, unusual capitalization, odd imagery, and slant rhymes.  When her poems were first published, editors altered and changed them—to make them more conventional.  Full, unaltered versions of her poems were not published until  Rather than more traditional pentameter, she often used trimeter and tetrameter, a meter similar to the rhythm of hymns.  Though she began writing in the Romantic era, her poems broke away from the conventions of the Fireside poets.  Her style was seen as very unconventional—using a lot of dashes, unusual capitalization, odd imagery, and slant rhymes.  When her poems were first published, editors altered and changed them—to make them more conventional.  Full, unaltered versions of her poems were not published until  Rather than more traditional pentameter, she often used trimeter and tetrameter, a meter similar to the rhythm of hymns.

Emily Dickinson  Her writing is also known for its wit! “To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, -- One clover, and a bee, And revery. The revery alone will do If bees are few.” "Faith" is a fine invention When Gentlemen can see— But Microscopes are prudent In an Emergency.

DICKINSON’S DEFINITION OF POETRY  “If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can warm me I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry….Is there any other way?” Emily needing emergency care after reading a great poem!