Overview
This lecture covers the life, influences, and literary legacy of American poet Emily Dickinson, highlighting her reclusive lifestyle and distinctive poetic style.
Early Life and Family
- Emily Dickinson was born in December 1830 and died in May 1886 in Amherst, Massachusetts.
- She had close relationships with her siblings, Austin and Lavinia ("Vinnie"), but complex ties with her parents.
- Dickinson's letters describe her father as "pure and terrible" and her mother as uninterested in thought.
Personal Life and Isolation
- Dickinson experienced trauma after her cousin Sophia's death in 1844, leading to a brief religious revival in 1845.
- She chose a solitary lifestyle, often expressing her preference for isolation in her poetry.
Education and Literary Influences
- Attended Amherst Academy for seven years and Mount Holyoke Female Seminary for ten months.
- Left school early possibly due to health, homesickness, or discomfort with the school's evangelical environment.
- Influences included poets Wordsworth, Coleridge, Emerson; mentor Benjamin F. Newton; friends Susan Dickinson, Charles Wadsworth, and Samuel Bowles.
Writing Life and Major Works
- Began compiling clean copies of her poems in 1858, producing 40 notebooks with nearly 800 poems.
- The most productive period was the early 1860s, during which she withdrew from public life.
- Only seven poems were published during her lifetime, mostly anonymously.
Later Years and Death
- Her father's and mother's illnesses and deaths deepened her isolation.
- Experienced late-life relationships, including a possible romance with Otis Phillips Lord, and was affected by her brother Austin's affair.
- Died at age 55 from Bright's disease; her poetry was discovered and published posthumously by her family and friends.
Posthumous Publication and Legacy
- The first edition of her poems was published in 1890; subsequent editions appeared in 1924, 1955, and beyond.
- Her poetry is known for random capitalization, unconventional punctuation, use of dashes, lack of titles, and frequent metaphors.
- Dickinson is recognized as a highly original 19th-century American poet and a major figure in American literature.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Slant Rhyme — a rhyme in which the sounds are similar but not identical.
- Metaphor — a figure of speech comparing two unlike things for effect.
- Bright's Disease — an old term for kidney disease that caused Dickinson's death.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review selected poems by Emily Dickinson for analysis of style and themes.
- Read about the publication history of Dickinson’s poems for further context.