The life of Emily Dickinson

1. Emily Dickinson “ Fortune befriends the bold.” -Emily Dickinson 1

2. Emily Dickinson December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886 Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born to a well respected, successful family with strong ties to their community in Amherst, Massachusetts. All of the men in the Dickinson family were lawyers with political aspirations. Although the Dickinson family tradition of public service and political activity were ensiled in young Emily, she felt that she was denied this life because she was a woman. “ Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.” -Emily Dickinson

3. Emily Dickinson In her youth, she attended Amherst Academy for seven year. Later, she completed one year of study at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. Dickinson gained notoriety as the only student not willing to publicly confess her faith. She grew to regret this writing in a letter to a close friend, “Christ is calling everyone here, all my companions have answered, even my darling Vinnie [sister Lavinia] believes she loves, and trusts him, and I am standing alone in rebellion.” 2

4. Emily Dickinson Like the incident at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, Dickinson had a lifelong willingness to oppose popular sentiment. The experience at Mount Holyoke may have bloomed the independence that flourished Dickinson’s writing. “ I almost wish there was no Eternity, to think that we must forever live and never cease to be.“ -Emily Dickinson 3

5. Emily Dickinson “ Because I could not stop for Death— He kindly stopped for me— The Carriage held but just Ourselves— And Immortality.” - The Chariot ( Because I Could Not Stop For Death) by Emily Dickinson On May 15, 1886, Emily Dickinson died from Bright’s Disease, a form of kidney disease. 4

6. Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson was an extremely private poet. Poet, publisher and friend, Helen Hunt Jackson, implored Emily to submit her poems however, Jackson was only able to obtain one poem from Dickinson. Which, subsequently, was published anonymously. She only published between seven and eleven poems before her death. “ Saying nothing... sometimes says the most. ” -Emily Dickinson

7. Emily Dickinson Dickinson’s defiance of social authority carried over to her writing. Dickinson wrote her poems in an unusual meter. This went against the establish meter and rhythm schemes of the time. Emily Dickinson had a mystical way of expressing love, hope and mortality. “ Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality.” -Emily Dickinson

8. Emily Dickinson Despite problems with her eyes, she continued to write until her death. The actual significance of her writings were not discovered until her younger sister, Lavinia, found a cherry-wood cabinet containing 1,147 poems. All were in fair copy and 833 were bound, stitched by Emily’s own hand. “ The Possible slow fuse is lit by the Imagination.” -Emily Dickinson

9. Emily Dickinson Four years after her death, the first book of poems was published; Poems of Emily Dickinson: Series 1 (1890). Only 500 copies were produced in the first run. The second volume in the series; Poems of Emily Dickinson : Second Series , was published in 1891. 960 copies were produced in the first run. The third volume of the series; Poems of Emily Dickinson : Third Series , was published in 1896. 1000 copies were produced in the first run. 5

10. Emily Dickinson Although Dickinson shied away from social gatherings, she was very active in sending correspondence to friends and associates. These letter were gathered and published as a book; Letters of Emily Dickinson (1894). “ This is my letter to the world, That never wrote to me,-- The simple news that Nature told, With tender majesty. Her message is committed To hands I cannot see; For love of her, sweet countrymen, Judge tenderly of me!” - This is My Letter to the World by Emily Dickinson

11. Emily Dickinson “ If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.” -Emily Dickinson 6