Emily Dickinson Quick Facts

Emily Dickinson

19^th century American poet

• Birth: December 10, 1830
• Death: May 15, 1886
• Place of Birth: Amherst, Massachusetts
• Full Name: Emily Elizabeth Dickinson
• Also Called: New England mystic
• Known for: Her atypical, compressed, and meticulous poetic style, which disregarded the traditional rules of poetics
• Allegation: According to popular traditions she was sensitive and reclusive in nature, and had an unrequited or secret love

Editions of Dickinson’s Poems:

The Poems of Emily Dickinson (3 volumes,1955)
The Letters of Emily Dickinson (3 volumes,1958)
The Manuscript Books of Emily Dickinson (2 volumes,1981)

Quote:

“I died for Beauty – but was scarce
Adjusted in the Tomb
When One who died for Truth was lain
In an adjoining Room –“
I died for Beauty – but was scarce (449)

Did You Know?

Although Dickinson is highly deemed as one of the most prominent poets in the field of American literature, during her lifetime she was chiefly known as a gardener rather than as a poet

She never married

She wore only white dresses for almost her entire adult life

Although she was alleged to be a recluse, in reality, she was very much sociable. She frequently entertained guests at her home during her 20s and 30s

She wrote nearly 2000 poems, most of which were published posthumously. During her lifetime she published only 7 poems

Dickinson never named her poems; the titles were given by the early editors of her poems. Popularly her poems are named by the first line