Emily Dickinson 1830-1886
480-490
One of the best known American poets who was also female.
She was regarded as strange, is rumored to have only worn white gowns and never left her father's
house. There was a rumor that she did leave once, “it was rumored, “to see a new church, when she
crapped out by night, and viewed it by moonlight. “(480)
“Neighbors and friends knew that this woman wrote, but she published only 10 poems during her
lifetime,” (480). These were published anonymously. She seemed a very shy person. With little
desire for company outside of her family and pen pals (481).
Wentworth Higginson, I find to be a bit of a villain in the life story of Dickinson. Because when she
trusted him with seeing her private works for his opinion, “He was both enthusiastic and shocked,
warning her away from publishing such unconventional work.” (481) He edited her works after she
had died. “ hey can send was one of the first to publish volumes of Dickinson’s poetry, editing the
work to make it seem as conventional as he could. “. At what point then is it even hers? Being
polished and shined for the noble eye. It is a disgrace and a shame. And I resent the insult to her
memory.
In the life of Emily Dickinson, it is said that her father was a tyrant, her mother was absent minded,
and she was close with her brother and sister. (481)
I found it refreshing that Dickinson didn’t write about the issues of her time “...from slavery and
women’s rights to the violence of the Civil War.” (481). She rather spoke of other things that were
more universal yet still unique to her view on life. Maybe she was offering her mind and the minds of
others relief from more of the same day to day political references and then turned her reflections of
the issues happening internally.
“Concerned with domestic matters and the torments of the soul, she can seem excruciatingly inward
looking. “ (481)
Like myself, Dickinson love Shakespeare “… She wants asked: “why is any other book needed? “
(481)
To further my hatred of Higginson, “ hey consent had led her to believe that the world would not
appreciate them, and the few of her poems that did it pier in print in her lifetime more heavily edited
to conform to unadventurous taste. “Publication – is the Auction/ of the Mind of Man, “ she wrote,
Disgusted by the idea of selling watch cared for most. And so she withdrew to what she called the
“freedom” of her narrow room to create great poetry for herself alone.” (482) - what does a man
know? Obviously he was wrong and she went her whole life not knowing how amazing she was. It’s
a sad loss.
I really enjoyed her poem 258.
I don’t fully understand it but I really enjoy the passage “when it comes, the Landscape listens –
Shadows – hold their breath – When it goes, ‘tis like the Distance On the look of Death –“(483). The
whole poem seems to hold a balance of religious language and sorrow, and anticipation for an end.
It is dark and beautiful, all while hard to fully comprehend its meaning.
In poem 303
“The Soul selects her own Society – then – shuts the Door - To her divine Majority – Present no
more-“ (483). I feel this is to reference her preferences for isolation and indifference to common
Society. She mentions attention and seems to indicate that she wishes for none and is “Like Stone”
against it.
Dickinson is very strange punctuation in her writings. I can’t help but wonder, if the seemingly
random uppercase words we’re meant to be some sort of safer or code for someone private to read.
In poem 449
One person died for beauty while the other died for truth. Yet they are both “Brethren”. No matter the
reason for it, all are equal in death. And we are also not alone even in death.
“ We talked between the Rooms – Until the Moss had reached our lips – and covered up - our
names -“ (485)
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