emily-dickinson

EmilyDickinson1830-1886EmilyDickinson(1830-1886)EmilyDickinsonwasbornin1830intoaCalvinistfamilyofAmherst,Massachusetts.SheattendedMountHolyokeFemaleSeminaryinSouthHadley.EmilywasanenergeticandoutgoingwomanwhileattendingtheAcademyandSeminary.Itwaslater,duringhermid-twentiesthatEmilybegantogrowreclusive.Intheyearsthatfollowed,sheseldomleftherhouseandvisitorswerescarce.Thepeoplewithwhomshedidcomeincontact,however,hadanintenseimpactonherthoughtsandpoetry.ShewasparticularlystirredbytheReverendCharlesWadsworth,whomshemetonatriptoPhiladelphia.HeleftfortheWestCoastshortlyafteravisittoherhomein1860,andhisdeparturegaverisetoaheartsickflowofversefromDickinson,whodeeplyadmiredhim.Bythe1860s,shelivedinalmosttotalphysicalisolationfromtheoutsideworld,butactivelymaintainedmanycorrespondencesandreadwidely.ExitContinueSheis,inasense,alinkbetweenhereraandtheliterarysensitivitiesoftheturnofthecentury.Shenevermarried,andsheledanunconventionallifethatwasoutwardlyuneventfulbutwasfullofinnerintensity.Shelovednatureandfounddeepinspirationinthebirds,animals,plants,andchangingseasonsoftheNewEnglandcountryside.Wefindnomentionofthewaroranyothergreatnationaleventinherpoetry.Shelivedaquiet,veryprivatelifeinherlittlehometownofAmherst,Massachusetts.Dickinsonspentthelatterpartofherlifeasarecluse,duetoanextremelysensitivepsycheandpossiblytomaketimeforwriting(forstretchesoftimeshewroteaboutonepoemaday).Herdayalsoincludedmoneymakingforherattorneyfather,aprominentfigureinAmherstwhobecameamemberofCongress.Ofallthegreatwritersofthenineteenthcentury,shehadtheleastinfluenceonhertimes.Yet,becauseshewascutofffromtheoutsideworld,shewasabletocreateaverypersonalandpurekindofpoetry.Sinceherdeath,herreputationhasgrownenormouslyandherpoetryisnowseenasverymodernforitstime.EmilyDickinson(1830-1886)ExitContinueEmilyDickinson(1830-1886)FeaturesDickinson’sterse,frequentlyimagisticstyleisevenmoremodernandinnovativethanWhitman’s.Sheneverusestwowordswhenonewilldo,andcombinesconcretethingswithabstractideasinanalmostproverbial,compressedstyle.Herbestpoemshavenofat;manymockcurrentsentimentality,andsomeareevenheretical.Shesometimesshowsaterrifyingexistentialawareness.LikePoe,sheexploresthedarkandhiddenpartofthemind,dramatizingdeathandthegrave.Yetshealsocelebratedsimpleobjects--aflower,abee.Herpoetryexhibitsgreatintelligenceandoftenevokestheagonizingparadoxofthelimitsofthehumanconsciousnesstrappedintime.Shehadanexcellentsenseofhumor,andherrangeofsubjectsandtreatmentisamazinglywide.HerpoemsaregenerallyknownbythenumbersassignedtheminThomasH.Johnson’sstandardeditionof1955.Theybristlewithoddcapitalizationanddashes.ExitContinueThesubjectsofDickson’spoetryarethetraditionalonesoflove,nature,religion,andmortality,seenthroughherpuritaneyes,orasshedescribedit,“NewEnglandly”.Muchofthedramatictensionstemsfromherreligiousdoubt;shewasunabletoaccepttheorthodoxreligiousfaithofherfriendsandschoolmates,yetshelongedforthecomfortandemotionalstabilitythatsuchfaithcouldbring.Manyofherlyrics,intheirmixtureofrebelliousandreverentsentiments,illustratethisconflict.Herpoetryisalsonotableforitstechnicalirregularities,whichalarmedherearlyeditorsandreviewers.Hercharacteristicstanzaisfourlineslong,andmostpoemsconsistofjusttwostanzas.Sheoftenseparatedherwordswithdashes,whichtendtorelievethedensityofthepoemsandintroduceintothemmomentsofspeculativesilence.Othercharacteristicsofherstyle:sporadiccapitalizationofnouns;convolutedandungrammaticalphrasing;off-rhymes;brokenmeters;bold,unconventional,andoftenstartlingmetaphors;andaphoristicwit,allthesehavegreatlyinfluenced20thcenturypoetsandcontributedtoDickinson’sreputationasoneofthegreatestandmostinnovativepoetsof19thcenturyAmericanliterature.EmilyDickinson(1830-1886)ExitContinueEarlyLife•Shewasborntoreligious,well-to-dofamilyandhadanormalchildhoodinAmherst,Massachusetts.•Everyoneexpectedhertomarryandraiseafamilylikemostwomenofherclass.•Thisallsuddenlychangedwhenshewas24.Shebecameapoetandrecluse.•“Dickinsonusedpreciselanguageanduniquepoeticformstosimultaneouslyrevealandconcealherprivatethoughtsandfeelings”(ElementsofLiterature345).•Whathappenedtoturnayounggirlintoanunrecognizedpoetwhoneverleftherhouse?Whatwouldcauseayoungwomanof24suddenlytoisolateherselfwithinheryardandhouseandignoretheworldoutside?SpeculationsaboutWhy•WenttoDCwithherfather,acongressman,becauseshehadfalleninlovewithamarriedlawyer,whosoondiedofTB.•Therefellinlovewithanothermarriedman,aminister.HemovedtoSanFranciscoin1862.Aboutthistimeshewrote,“Isingastheboydoesbytheburyingground,becauseIamafraid.”ReturntoAmherst•Withinafewyears,shehadretreatedfromallsociallifeinAmherst.Alwayswearingwhite,likethebrideshewouldneverbe,sheremainedinherparents’houseandrestrictedherselftohouseholdworkandwritingpoetry,whichshewouldsometimessendtopeopleasgiftsforvalentinesorbirthdays,alongwithapieorcookies.Onlyafewofherpoemswerepublishedinherlifetime.Shesentfourofthemtoacritic,Mr.Higginson,askingforhishelp.Whenhesentsuggestionsforchangingherpoems,sherepliedinaletter,“Thankyouforthesurgery;itwasnotsopainfulasIsuppose