NAME Emily Elizabeth Dickinson
WHAT FAMOUS FOR Emily Dickinson is renowned as one of the greatest American poets. She is celebrated for her unique, innovative poetic style and profound exploration of themes like death, immortality, nature, and love.
BIRTH Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, at the family homestead in Amherst, Massachusetts.
FAMILY BACKGROUND Dickinson was born into a prominent but not wealthy family. Her father, Edward Dickinson, was a lawyer and a politician, serving as a treasurer of Amherst College and a member of the U.S. Congress. Her mother, Emily Norcross Dickinson, managed the household. Emily was the middle child, with an older brother, Austin, and a younger sister, Lavinia, both of whom played significant roles in her life.
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| The Dickinson Children (Emily on the left), c. 1840. |
CHILDHOOD Emily grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts, in a household that valued education and community standing. Her family’s homestead, surrounded by gardens, provided an inspiring backdrop for her imaginative childhood.
EDUCATION Emily started attending Amherst Academy with her sister Lavinia on September 7, 1840. The Academy had only recently opened its doors to female students. Dickinson spent seven years there, studying a wide range of subjects, including English, classical literature, Latin, botany, geology, history, arithmetic, and "mental philosophy." Her school principal, Daniel Taggart Fiske, remembered her as "very bright" and "an excellent scholar, of exemplary deportment, faithful in all school duties."
CAREER RECORD Emily Dickinson did not pursue a conventional career. Instead, she devoted her life to writing poetry, producing nearly 1,800 poems, most of which were unpublished during her lifetime. After her death in 1886, her work was gradually published and celebrated for its originality and depth, securing her legacy as a literary icon.
APPEARANCE Dickinson was described as diminutive or small in stature. She had asymmetrical pupils, possibly due to astigmatism in one eye. Dickinson herself compared her eyes to "the Sherry in the Glass, that the Guest leaves." She described her hair as "bold, like the Chestnut Bur," reddish in color, and arranged in two smooth bands. Dickinson referred to herself as having a "gypsy face."
In her later years, Dickinson became known for wearing white clothing. Her one surviving dress is white, and she was buried in white. In her youth, Dickinson's clothing style was typical of the 1850s, including jacket-style bodices, narrow undersleeves, and chemisettes with collars.
The only authenticated photograph of Dickinson shows her at 16, described as a thin teenager. In her twenties, Dickinson's health improved, and she reportedly became a little "fat." Those who saw her in later life described her as "bright-eyed, clear-skinned, attractive and womanly."
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| Daguerreotype taken at Mount Holyoke, December 1846 or early 1847 |
FASHION In her youth, Dickinson's clothing style was typical of the 1850s, including jacket-style bodices, narrow undersleeves, and chemisettes with collars.
In her later years, Dickinson became known for wearing white dresses, a detail that has since become iconic in her image.
CHARACTER Dickinson was intensely private, often retreating into her home and preferring solitude. She had a keen intellect, a vivid imagination, and a deep sensitivity, which permeated her poetry.
SPEAKING VOICE Emily Dickinson spoke in a soft, childlike voice, a trait remembered by those who interacted with her.
SENSE OF HUMOR Emily was known for her wit and clever wordplay. Her letters often contained humorous observations, and she had a playful way of expressing herself. Despite her reclusive nature, her correspondence reveals a sharp, lively sense of humor.
One excellent example of her wit can be found in her poem "I'm Nobody! Who are you?," where she humorously celebrates the joys of anonymity and outsider status, subverting societal expectations with a whimsical tone
I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there's a pair of us!
Don't tell! they'd advertise - you know!
How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a Frog –
To tell one's name - the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!
RELATIONSHIPS Although Emily never married, her letters and poems reveal intense emotional connections with others, including her sister-in-law Susan Gilbert Dickinson and Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield Republican.
In 1855, during a visit to Philadelphia, Emily and her mother met the charismatic preacher Reverend Charles Wadsworth. Despite being married, Wadsworth formed a deep and lasting bond with Emily, a relationship that would shape much of her later poetry. Emily referred to him as her “closest earthly friend,” and their connection remained strong until his death in 1882.
MONEY AND FAME Emily Dickinson led a quiet life and shunned fame during her lifetime. Only ten of her nearly 1,800 poems were published while she was alive, all anonymously and heavily edited. She achieved posthumous fame when her younger sister Lavinia discovered her collection of poems after her death and ensured they were published.
FOOD AND DRINK Dickinson loved to bake, and her gingerbread was especially popular in Amherst. She often sent baked goods to friends and neighbors as tokens of affection. Her kitchen skills were a lesser-known aspect of her domestic life, and her recipes were highly valued by those close to her.
She won second prize at the 1856 Amherst Cattle Show for her Indian and rye loaf. (1)
Dickinson often wrote poems in the kitchen, drafting verses on wrappers and other kitchen papers
MUSIC AND ARTS Emily had a love for music, particularly the piano, which she played in her youth. Her appreciation for the arts extended to her fascination with poetic form and her inventive use of language and rhythm, which gave her work a musical quality.
LITERATURE An avid reader, Emily drew inspiration from works of literature. Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre was one of her favorite novels. She named her beloved dog Carlo after the pointer owned by St. John Rivers in the novel. She was also influenced by the works of Shakespeare, the Bible, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
She maintained extensive correspondences with friends, family, and literary figures. Her letters often included poems or were poetic in nature.
Her famous phrase, "The Heart Wants What It Wants," originated in an 1862 letter to Mary Bowles and is now part of cultural lexicon. After her death in 1886, Lavinia Dickinson discovered Emily’s locked chest containing nearly 1,800 poems, leading to the first volume of her work being published four years later.
POETRY Emily Dickinson began writing poetry in her youth, inspired by a gift of Ralph Waldo Emerson's poetry. She composed over 1,800 poems during her lifetime, often writing in the kitchen or her bedroom.
In the summer of 1858, Emily began assembling manuscript books of her poetry into small handmade booklets called "fascicles," a meticulous process of reviewing and refining her earlier works. This marked the beginning of her lasting legacy. She experimented with unconventional punctuation and syntax, creating a unique poetic style.
After her death, her sister Lavinia discovered her poems in a locked chest. Her first volume was published posthumously in 1890, with later editions restoring her distinctive punctuation and form.
Emily Dickinson’s life may have been confined to a single town, but her poetry shattered the walls of convention and left an indelible mark on American literature. Though she published only ten poems in her lifetime (and those were heavily edited to conform to Victorian sensibilities), her posthumous collection of nearly 1,800 poems revealed a writer decades ahead of her time.
Her influence on modern poetry is immeasurable. Dickinson gave writers permission to experiment, to break rules, and to embrace the strange and the beautiful in equal measure. Today, she remains a beacon for anyone bold enough to find their own voice, even if no one understands it—at least not at first.
So, here’s to Emily Dickinson: the poet who turned reclusion into revelation, punctuation into poetry, and life’s simplest moments into the grandest questions of all.
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| Dickinson's handwritten manuscript of her poem "Wild Nights – Wild Nights!" |
NATURE Dickinson had a profound connection with nature, which she often explored on long walks through the woods and fields of Amherst. She and her sister Lavinia tended the Homestead garden, a local marvel admired for its beauty. Emily began studying botany at the age of nine, compiling a sixty-six-page herbarium with 424 specimens. Her love for the natural world is evident throughout her poetry.
PETS Emily’s only pet was a Newfoundland dog named Carlo, a gift from her father in 1849. Carlo was a faithful companion during her long walks and a source of comfort in her otherwise solitary life. Her affection for Carlo was reflected in her writing, where she often used animals as metaphors.
HOBBIES AND SPORTS Emily’s primary hobby was gardening. She spent countless hours cultivating flowers and plants, finding both solace and inspiration in the activity. Her herbarium remains a testament to her passion for botany.
Dickinson was an avid reader. She studied literature extensively and was particularly fond of poetry.
SCIENCE AND MATHS Though primarily known as a poet, Emily was deeply interested in science, particularly botany. Her meticulous collection and classification of plants using the Linnaean system showcase her analytical side. This scientific precision often translated into her poetry’s structure and themes.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY In 1845, a religious revival swept through Western Massachusetts, profoundly influencing a young Emily Dickinson. Though she never made a formal declaration of faith, this period inspired her to begin writing poetry. For a few years, Dickinson attended church services regularly, but by 1852, she abandoned organized religion. Her skepticism about traditional worship is reflected in her poem, “Some keep the Sabbath going to Church – I keep it, staying at Home.” Her spiritual philosophy often wrestled with themes of mortality, immortality, and the human soul, expressed in her uniquely enigmatic style.
POLITICS Emily Dickinson rarely engaged directly with politics in her writing or personal life. Living through the Civil War, she was deeply affected by the societal upheaval and loss, which often found indirect expression in her poetry. However, she largely avoided public discussions, preferring to focus on individual experiences and universal themes rather than political commentary.
SCANDAL Dickinson lived a reclusive life, and her unconventional behavior occasionally sparked local gossip. From 1867 onward, she spoke to visitors only from behind a closed door and was rarely seen in public, often dressed entirely in white. Her relationship with the married Reverend Charles Wadsworth, whom she met in 1855, also led to speculation. While their bond remained platonic, it was considered intense and deeply emotional, fueling much of her poetry about longing and separation.
MILITARY RECORD Emily Dickinson had no direct involvement in the military, but the American Civil War profoundly influenced her poetry. The war’s tragedies and its impact on her community informed her meditations on death, grief, and human resilience.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Dickinson’s health was a subject of concern throughout her life. She was diagnosed with “nervous prostration” by a physician, though modern scholars suggest she may have suffered from agoraphobia, epilepsy, or other chronic conditions. Her reclusive nature, combined with her role as caregiver to her ailing mother, likely contributed to her physical and mental health struggles.
HOMES Dickinson spent almost her entire life at the Homestead in Amherst, Massachusetts. The family home was both her sanctuary and creative space. She rarely ventured beyond its grounds after the mid-1850s, immersing herself in her poetry, correspondence, and the tending of the Homestead’s admired garden.
TRAVEL Emily Dickinson’s travels were minimal. A significant exception was her 1855 trip to Philadelphia, where she met Reverend Charles Wadsworth. This encounter proved pivotal in her personal and creative life. Beyond occasional visits to nearby towns, Dickinson rarely left Amherst.
DEATH Emily Dickinson died on May 15, 1886, at the age of 55, following a period of declining health. Her physician attributed her death to Bright’s disease, a chronic kidney condition. She was laid to rest in a white coffin adorned with vanilla-scented heliotrope, a Lady’s Slipper orchid, and blue field violets.
Her funeral, held on May 19, 1886 in the Homestead’s library, was a simple and intimate affair. Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a friend and literary correspondent of Dickinson, read Emily Brontë's poem "No Coward Soul Is Mine" at the service, as Dickinson had requested.
Following the service, Dickinson's coffin was carried through fields of buttercups to West Cemetery on Triangle Street, where she was buried in the family plot
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Emily Dickinson’s life and work have inspired countless portrayals in literature, film, television, and other media, offering interpretations that range from historically grounded to whimsically imaginative.
Here’s a rundown of her notable appearances and adaptations:
A Quiet Passion (2016): Cynthia Nixon stars as Emily Dickinson in this biographical drama directed by Terence Davies. The film paints a deeply emotional portrait of Dickinson’s life, exploring her relationships, reclusive tendencies, and poetic genius with reverent detail.
Dickinson (2019–2021): This Apple TV+ series offers a wildly modern take on Emily’s life, blending period drama with contemporary humor, language, and music. Hailee Steinfeld plays Emily as a rebellious, free-spirited young woman ahead of her time. The show reimagines her relationships, career struggles, and poetic genius in ways designed to resonate with younger audiences.
Emily Dickinson: A Certain Slant of Light (2006: This PBS documentary dives into Dickinson’s life and work, combining expert commentary, readings, and reenactments to bring the poet’s story to life.
The Belle of Amherst (1976): A one-woman play by William Luce, starring Julie Harris, who won a Tony Award for her portrayal of Dickinson. The play is based on Dickinson’s poems, letters, and biography, creating a vivid and deeply personal portrayal of her life.
The Emily Dickinson Reader (2013) by Paul Legault humorously "translates" her poems into modern English.
Lives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family’s Feuds (2010) by Lyndall Gordon is a gripping biography that delves into Dickinson’s family drama and its influence on her work.
Many musicians have drawn inspiration from Dickinson’s poetry. Composer Aaron Copland famously set 12 of her poems to music in his “Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson” (1950), a hauntingly beautiful song cycle.
Emily Dickinson has been referenced in pop culture as a symbol of mystery, creativity, and unconventionality. Shows like The Simpsons and Gilmore Girls have humorously nodded to her reclusive genius.
Source (1) Gourmet Traveller
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