*Note*
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In 1830 on Dec. 10th, The second child born to Emily Norcross Dickinson and Edward Dickinson was born. Her name was Emily. Named for her mother. Baby Emily later became a Legend in the world of Poetry. This legendary poet was born in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Emily was one of three children born to the Dickinsons'. Emily was brought up in Christian family along side her older brother Austin and her younger sister Lavinia. Emily however was not moved by religion and remained a independent of the beliefs of Christianity.
Amherst College where Emily briefly attended was founded by her grandfather, and her father was the treasure of the college. Edward also worked in the General Court of Massachusetts, the State Senate and U.S. House of Representative during the mid to late 1800's.
Emily grew up fearful of her father. He was a very prominent man during those times. A little known fact is that Emily could not tell time until she was 15 years old. Unlike her father's public figure she was very much a reclusive person. She rarely ventured out into the world beyond what she had ventured in her mind. When she was seen she was known to only wear a white gown. She wrote of love that she had never experience in the common sense of a partnered relationship in all of her relationships outside. She had but two close friends in whom she would share her works of poetry art. Ms. Susan Huntington Gilbert and Mr. Thomas Wentworth Higginson.
Emily's poetry style was unconventional and well ahead of her time. She only became famous in the 19th and 20th centuries after her death.
Emily passed away on May 15,1886, still quite unknown to the world. After she passed, one of her two close friends, Mr. Thomas Wentworth Higginson, published her words. All original copies were destroyed by her sister upon Emily's request on her death bed. Very few were published while she was still in the world.
Her unconventional style is recognized by the dashes and capitalization's to emphasize her point. It is said Emily had written close to 1700 poems in her lifetime.
Insight into her secluded life still eludes many people.
"People say a word dies when it is written by the pen,
but for me that word's Life is just about to begin."
- Emily Dickinson
I became interested in Emily after hearing so many people here at AP talk about some of her work. I then surfed the web and found different sites that I read alot about Emily herself. And I wrote this from the information I collected by reading other sites.
The things you wanted to know about Emily Dickinson.
*Note*
For further persual of old poets please see
Old Poetry.Com
*Note*
For further persual of old poets please see
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1 - 18 of 18
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Gotta love Emily
Gotta love Emily, but she did have other friends other then the two you mentioned and she was almost married to a judge. There is some speculation about her sexuality. I personally believe that she was either bisexual or asexual but that's just my personal opinion . I can say that she loved her bestfriend Susan Gilbert very very very much.
I dont really care if she was bisexual , I still think she had a beautiful heart. -
I have had this bookmarked for ages! Just read it now. Thanks so much
This was really interesting.
Gaylene
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Thanks for putting together the bio. on Emily D. I read and studied her works in college. She was a bit weird and of course a genius. But then are not most geniuses weird? I heard she never married because, after her mother's death, she was bound to care for her father.
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I have enjoyed reading your biography about Emily. On Oldpoetry we have 1064 of her poems available on:
http://oldpoetry.com/oauthor/show/Emily_Dickinson.
I hope you and your readers of your column visit her there too.
Von - Oldpoetry
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Emily Dickenson is a favorite poet of mine. I came to appreciate her more when I found a book of her collected works of my father's. I didn't know she had problems with her father and that she was fearful of him. Her life was very secluded and isolated. Her poems are full of lovely imagery and emotion. I like her nature poems, as well. She spent a lot of time observing nature and reflecting on that and inner feelings. THank you for this write up on her! It makes me want to find that book and read some more of her poetry.
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Thanks so much I found this very interesting , it has prompted me to read some of Emily's poetry.
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JustSimplyLissa
A tape MUST exist of the PBS broadcast of a show featuring Julie Harris as Emily. It was simply entitled The Belle of Amherst as Night Hope mentioned below. You might make inquiry at PBS for a copy. It is well worth watching. Julie Harris does a magnificent job portraying her.
As for her not knowing how people felt about her, and her work, well, I think she knows! The alternative would be too unthinkable!
Very informative piece you've done here.
Congratulations and Thanks
John-Las Vegas, Nevada -
I have also read that her family was not really even aware that she wrote poetry so frequently, and only found out themselves after her death when they found papers and papers in her drawerers.
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Wow! I don't think I have room in my brain for anything else!
I kinda feel bad that she was never famous while she was alive, therefore she may have left thinking that no one ever really cared about her poems and she may not have felt as successful.
The information was just packed in here so pleasantly that it was informational yet interesting. Nicely done, I loved this. By the way, may I put that quote from Emily on my homepage?
Thank you for posting this! -
Thank you for honoring Emily, She's the Best!
~ Nicky♥
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Thank you very much for sharing this very informative piece about one of the greatest poets this world has ever known.
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I love Emily
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I love Emily Dickinson! She is absolutely one of my favourite poets of all time!
Hmm... It doesn't look like you've put much research into this. My advice would be to read up on her a little more. Perhaps do a more extensive biography of her. Great work, but it could be more in depth. I like what you have though.
Excellent poet, I'd recommend her work anyday!
Keep writing! -
Impeccable, Poet. She has been my mentor, my confidante, since I began writing. I hope you don't mind, but I've added your column to two of my lists; the one of poems inspired by the Belle of Amherst has a very rare photo of her in her later years that was discovered not so long ago. A moderator from Oldpoetry sent me the information. Thank you for honoring Emily. She deserves it. I once obtained a microfilm copy of her original manuscript from Boston University; it was tied with ribbons & she'd painted Indian Pipe flowers on the cover. I made copies of my favorite poems in her very own handwriting, then matted them with the famous daguerrotype that was the only known picture of her at the time. Brava, Poet...Brava!!! Wanda
P.S. I have her collected works. She wrote 1,775 poems. I believe only 7 were published while she was alive. -
English Class
Thank you for posting this. we're learning about her in my English Honors class. She had a very strange adulthood, she never left her own house until she died. I liked the way she wrote her poems. -
Thank you for posting this. Ms. Dickinson has been a favorite poet of mine for sometime, and while I was already aware of most of the facts you presented, it was very well-written. She was an amazing lady, and I oft times find myself imitating her beautifully eclectic style. Thank you again for posting this.
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I love Emily Dickenson and I applaud you for writing this essay to inform others about her enigmatic life.
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Informative
Thank you for putting this information together. I don't think I've ever read a biography of Emily Dickinson even though I have been curious. Interesting!
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