1. Project by: Caroline Budd 1st hour
Emily Dickinson
Project by: Caroline Budd
1st hour

2. Family Edward and Emily Norcross Dickinson
Father - lawyer who was active in the Whig Party
Mother - passive housewife
Older Brother - William Austin Dickinson
Younger Sister - Lavinia Norcross Dickinson

3. Early Life Emily Elizabeth Dickinson
Born in Amherst, Mass. on Dec. 10th 1830

4. Schooling Amherst Academy Heard lectures at Amherst College
Finished her formal schooling at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary

5. Later Life Never married cared for ill mother
Rarely left house after mid 1860’s
Never joined a church
Died of kidney disease on May 15th,

6. Writing Works published after death by Lavinia
Her writing was altered to adhere to societal norms
1st volume published in 1890
Complete works published in 1955

7. Title divine- is mine! “ My husband- women say- Stroking the melody-
Is this-
the way?”

8. Analysis
“Yet the poem itself is not stark … loaded with energy… close to explosive.”
~Sharon Cameron

9. I Prayed, at first, a Little Girl
Because they told me to-
But stopped, when qualified to guess
How prayer would feel-to me-”

10. Analysis
“This poem lacks the bite… adopting instead a philosophical wistfulness.”
~Susan Kornfield

11. Writing Style Short poems First person Most of poems aren’t titled
Common meter
Dashes
Capitalized interior words

12. Theme
Not everyone has to adhere to societal norms pressed upon them