1. Emily Dickinson

2. Biography
Emily Dickinson is a lyric poet known for her eloquent, concise, and deceptively simple verses.
Dickinson was well-educated
She wrote 1,775 poems
Most after 1858 when she began collecting them in small, hand-sewn booklets

3. Poetry 1850s 1860s forward Fairly conventional in sentiment and form
Experimented with language
Altered hymnlike beats to fit her thoughts
Used off-rhymes widely
Played with syntax
Often put ordinary words in extraordinary context

4. Reclusiveness
One of the most interesting things about Emily Dickinson is how much time she spent alone.
After the late 1860s she never left the narrow boundaries of her family’s property
After the Civil War, she sought to live her life by rules of art
Wore only white
Saw few of the people who came to be with her

5. Major Characteristics of Dickinson’s Poetry
Theme and Tone
Universal themes: wonders of nature, identity of the self, death and immortality, love
Very Witty (look for humor)
Form and Style
Lyrics: short poems with a single speaker who expresses thought and feeling
Very few titles
Describes abstract concepts with concrete images

6. Major Characteristics of Dickinson’s Poetry
Meter and Rhyme
Common meter: alternating lines of eight syllables and six syllables
Often used in song lyrics (think “Amazing Grace”)

7. Major Characteristics of Dickinson’s Poetry
Punctuation and Syntax
Dashes
Capitalization of interior words
Diction
Precise and interesting word choice

8. “I’ll Tell You How The Sun Rose”

9. “I’m Nobody! Who are you?”

10. “I dwell in possibility”

11. “I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died”

12. “Hope is the thing with feathers”