Biography of Emily Dickinson, American Poet

Famously reclusive and experimental in poetic form

Culture Club / Getty Images 

  • Favorite Poems & Poets
  • Poetic Forms
  • Best Sellers
  • Classic Literature
  • Plays & Drama
  • Shakespeare
  • Short Stories
  • Children's Books

emily dickinson summary of life

  • M.F.A, Dramatic Writing, Arizona State University
  • B.A., English Literature, Arizona State University
  • B.A., Political Science, Arizona State University

Emily Dickinson (December 10, 1830–May 15, 1886) was an American poet best known for her eccentric personality and her frequent themes of death and mortality. Although she was a prolific writer, only a few of her poems were published during her lifetime. Despite being mostly unknown while she was alive, her poetry—nearly 1,800 poems altogether—has become a staple of the American literary canon, and scholars and readers alike have long held a fascination with her unusual life.

Fast Facts: Emily Dickinson

  • Full Name:  Emily Elizabeth Dickinson
  • Known For:  American poet
  • Born:  December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts
  • Died: May 15, 1886 in Amherst, Massachusetts
  • Parents:  Edward Dickinson and Emily Norcross Dickinson
  • Education:  Amherst Academy, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary
  • Published Works: Poems (1890), Poems: Second Series (1891), Poems: Third Series (1896)
  • Notable Quote:  "If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry."

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born into a prominent family in Amherst, Massachusetts. Her father, Edward Dickinson, was a lawyer, a politician, and a trustee of Amherst College , of which his father, Samuel Dickinson, was a founder. He and his wife Emily (nee Norcross ) had three children; Emily Dickinson was the second child and eldest daughter, and she had an older brother, William Austin (who generally went by his middle name), and a younger sister, Lavinia. By all accounts, Dickinson was a pleasant, well-behaved child who particularly loved music.

Because Dickinson’s father was adamant that his children be well-educated, Dickinson received a more rigorous and more classical education than many other girls of her era. When she was ten, she and her sister began attending Amherst Academy, a former academy for boys that had just begun accepting female students two years earlier. Dickinson continued to excel at her studies, despite their rigorous and challenging nature, and studied literature, the sciences, history, philosophy, and Latin. Occasionally, she did have to take time off from school due to repeated illnesses.

Dickinson’s preoccupation with death began at this young age as well. At the age of fourteen, she suffered her first major loss when her friend and cousin Sophia Holland died of typhus . Holland’s death sent her into such a melancholy spiral that she was sent away to Boston to recover. Upon her recovery, she returned to Amherst, continuing her studies alongside some of the people who would be her lifelong friends, including her future sister-in-law Susan Huntington Gilbert.

After completing her education at Amherst Academy, Dickinson enrolled at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. She spent less than a year there, but explanations for her early departure vary depending on the source: her family wanted her to return home, she disliked the intense, evangelical religious atmosphere, she was lonely, she didn’t like the teaching style. In any case, she returned home by the time she was 18 years old.

Reading, Loss, and Love

A family friend, a young attorney named Benjamin Franklin Newton, became a friend and mentor to Dickinson. It was most likely him who introduced her to the writings of William Wordsworth and Ralph Waldo Emerson , which later influenced and inspired her own poetry. Dickinson read extensively, helped by friends and family who brought her more books; among her most formative influences was the work of William Shakespeare , as well as Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre .

Dickinson was in good spirits in the early 1850s, but it did not last. Once again, people near to her died, and she was devastated. Her friend and mentor Newton died of tuberculosis, writing to Dickinson before he died to say he wished he could live to see her achieve greatness. Another friend, the Amherst Academy principal Leonard Humphrey, died suddenly at only 25 years old in 1850. Her letters and writings at the time are filled with the depth of her melancholy moods.

During this time, Dickinson’s old friend Susan Gilbert was her closest confidante. Beginning in 1852, Gilbert was courted by Dickinson’s brother Austin, and they married in 1856, although it was a generally unhappy marriage. Gilbert was much closer to Dickinson, with whom she shared a passionate and intense correspondence and friendship. In the view of many contemporary scholars, the relationship between the two women was, very likely, a romantic one , and possibly the most important relationship of either of their lives. Aside from her personal role in Dickinson’s life, Gilbert also served as a quasi-editor and advisor to Dickinson during her writing career.

Dickinson did not travel much outside of Amherst, slowly developing the later reputation for being reclusive and eccentric. She cared for her mother, who was essentially homebound with chronic illnesses from the 1850s onward. As she became more and more cut off from the outside world, however, Dickinson leaned more into her inner world and thus into her creative output.

Conventional Poetry (1850s – 1861)

I'm nobody who are you (1891).

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!

It’s unclear when, exactly, Dickinson began writing her poems, though it can be assumed that she was writing for some time before any of them were ever revealed to the public or published. Thomas H. Johnson, who was behind the collection The Poems of Emily Dickinson , was able to definitely date only five of Dickinson's poems to the period before 1858. In that early period, her poetry was marked by an adherence to the conventions of the time.

Two of her five earliest poems are actually satirical, done in the style of witty, “mock” valentine poems with deliberately flowery and overwrought language. Two more of them reflect the more melancholy tone she would be better known for. One of those is about her brother Austin and how much she missed him, while the other, known by its first line “I have a Bird in spring,” was written for Gilbert and was a lament about the grief of fearing the loss of friendship.

A few of Dickinson’s poems were published in the Springfield Republican between 1858 and 1868; she was friends with its editor, journalist Samuel Bowles, and his wife Mary. All of those poems were published anonymously, and they were heavily edited, removing much of Dickinson’s signature stylization, syntax, and punctuation. The first poem published, "Nobody knows this little rose,” may have actually been published without Dickinson’s permission. Another poem, “Safe in their Alabaster Chambers,” was retitled and published as “The Sleeping.” By 1858, Dickinson had begun organizing her poems, even as she wrote more of them. She reviewed and made fresh copies of her poetry, putting together manuscript books. Between 1858 and 1865, she produced 40 manuscripts, comprising just under 800 poems.

During this time period, Dickinson also drafted a trio of letters which were later referred to as the “Master Letters.” They were never sent and were discovered as drafts among her papers. Addressed to an unknown man she only calls “Master,” they’re poetic in a strange way that has eluded understanding even by the most educated of scholars. They may not have even been intended for a real person at all; they remain one of the major mysteries of Dickinson’s life and writings.

Prolific Poet (1861 – 1865)

“hope” is the thing with feathers (1891).

"Hope" is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all And sweetest in the Gale is heard And sore must be the storm — That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm — I've heard it in the chillest land — And on the strangest Sea — Yet, never, in Extremity, It asked a crumb — of Me.

Dickinson’s early 30s were by far the most prolific writing period of her life. For the most part, she withdrew almost completely from society and from interactions with locals and neighbors (though she still wrote many letters), and at the same time, she began writing more and more.

Her poems from this period were, eventually, the gold standard for her creative work. She developed her unique style of writing, with unusual and specific syntax , line breaks, and punctuation. It was during this time that the themes of mortality that she was best known for began to appear in her poems more often. While her earlier works had occasionally touched on themes of grief, fear, or loss, it wasn’t until this most prolific era that she fully leaned into the themes that would define her work and her legacy.

It is estimated that Dickinson wrote more than 700 poems between 1861 and 1865. She also corresponded with literary critic Thomas Wentworth Higginson, who became one of her close friends and lifelong correspondents. Dickinson’s writing from the time seemed to embrace a little bit of melodrama, alongside deeply felt and genuine sentiments and observations.

Later work (1866 – 1870s)

Because i could not stop for death (1890).

Because I could not stop for Death— He kindly stopped for me— The Carriage held but just Ourselves— And Immortality. We slowly drove—He knew no haste, And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility— We passed the School, where Children strove At recess—in the ring— We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain— We passed the Setting Sun— Or rather—He passed Us— The Dews drew quivering and chill— For only Gossamer, my Gown— My Tippet—only Tulle— We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground— The Roof was scarcely visible— The Cornice—in the Ground— Since then—'tis centuries— and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity—

By 1866, Dickinson’s productivity began tapering off. She had suffered personal losses, including that of her beloved dog Carlo, and her trusted household servant got married and left her household in 1866. Most estimates suggest that she wrote about one third of her body of work after 1866.

Around 1867, Dickinson’s reclusive tendencies became more and more extreme. She began refusing to see visitors, only speaking to them from the other side of a door, and rarely went out in public. On the rare occasions she did leave the house, she always wore white, gaining notoriety as “the woman in white.” Despite this avoidance of physical socialization, Dickinson was a lively correspondent; around two-thirds of her surviving correspondence was written between 1866 and her death, 20 years later.

Dickinson’s personal life during this time was complicated as well. She lost her father to a stroke in 1874, but she refused to come out of her self-imposed seclusion for his memorial or funeral services. She also may have briefly had a romantic correspondence with Otis Phillips Lord, a judge and a widower who was a longtime friend. Very little of their correspondence survives, but what does survive shows that they wrote to each other like clockwork, every Sunday, and their letters were full of literary references and quotations. Lord died in 1884, two years after Dickinson’s old mentor, Charles Wadsworth, had died after a long illness.

Literary Style and Themes

Even a cursory glance at Dickinson’s poetry reveals some of the hallmarks of her style. Dickinson embraced highly unconventional use of punctuation , capitalization, and line breaks, which she insisted were crucial to the meaning of the poems. When her early poems were edited for publication, she was seriously displeased, arguing the edits to the stylization had altered the whole meaning. Her use of meter is also somewhat unconventional, as she avoids the popular pentameter for tetrameter or trimeter, and even then is irregular in her use of meter within a poem. In other ways, however, her poems stuck to some conventions; she often used ballad stanza forms and ABCB rhyme schemes.

The themes of Dickinson’s poetry vary widely. She’s perhaps most well known for her preoccupation with mortality and death, as exemplified in one of her most famous poems, “Because I did not stop for Death.” In some cases, this also stretched to her heavily Christian themes, with poems tied into the Christian Gospels and the life of Jesus Christ. Although her poems dealing with death are sometimes quite spiritual in nature, she also has a surprisingly colorful array of descriptions of death by various, sometimes violent means.

On the other hand, Dickinson’s poetry often embraces humor and even satire and irony to make her point; she’s not the dreary figure she is often portrayed as because of her more morbid themes. Many of her poems use garden and floral imagery, reflecting her lifelong passion for meticulous gardening and often using the “ language of flowers ” to symbolize themes such as youth, prudence, or even poetry itself. The images of nature also occasionally showed up as living creatures, as in her famous poem “ Hope is the thing with feathers .”

Dickinson reportedly kept writing until nearly the end of her life, but her lack of energy showed through when she no longer edited or organized her poems. Her family life became more complicated as her brother’s marriage to her beloved Susan fell apart and Austin instead turned to a mistress, Mabel Loomis Todd, who Dickinson never met. Her mother died in 1882, and her favorite nephew in 1883.

Through 1885, her health declined, and her family grew more concerned. Dickinson became extremely ill in May of 1886 and died on May 15, 1886. Her doctor declared the cause of death to be Bright’s disease, a disease of the kidneys . Susan Gilbert was asked to prepare her body for burial and to write her obituary, which she did with great care. Dickinson was buried in her family’s plot at West Cemetery in Amherst.

The great irony of Dickinson’s life is that she was largely unknown during her lifetime. In fact, she was probably better known as a talented gardener than as a poet. Fewer than a dozen of her poems were actually published for public consumption when she was alive. It wasn’t until after her death, when her sister Lavinia discovered her manuscripts of over 1,800 poems, that her work was published in bulk. Since that first publication, in 1890, Dickinson’s poetry has never been out of print.

At first, the non-traditional style of her poetry led to her posthumous publications getting somewhat mixed receptions. At the time, her experimentation with style and form led to criticism over her skill and education, but decades later, those same qualities were praised as signifying her creativity and daring. In the 20th century, there was a resurgence of interest and scholarship in Dickinson, particularly with regards to studying her as a female poet , not separating her gender from her work as earlier critics and scholars had.

While her eccentric nature and choice of a secluded life has occupied much of Dickinson’s image in popular culture, she is still regarded as a highly respected and highly influential American poet. Her work is consistently taught in high schools and colleges, is never out of print, and has served as the inspiration for countless artists, both in poetry and in other media. Feminist artists in particular have often found inspiration in Dickinson; both her life and her impressive body of work have provided inspiration to countless creative works.

  • Habegger, Alfred.  My Wars Are Laid Away in Books: The Life of Emily Dickinson . New York: Random House, 2001.
  • Johnson, Thomas H. (ed.).  The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson . Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1960.
  • Sewall, Richard B. The Life of Emily Dickinson . New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1974.
  • Wolff, Cynthia Griffin. Emily Dickinson . New York. Alfred A. Knopf, 1986.
  • Emily Dickinson's Mother, Emily Norcross
  • Emily Dickinson's 'If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking'
  • Biography of Emily Brontë, English Novelist
  • Emily Dickinson Quotes
  • Poems to Read on Thanksgiving Day
  • 42 Must-Read Feminist Female Authors
  • Phillis Wheatley
  • Dickinson's 'The Wind Tapped Like a Tired Man'
  • Biography of Hilda Doolittle, Poet, Translator, and Memoirist
  • Biography of Edna St. Vincent Millay
  • Biography of Anne Brontë, English Novelist
  • Feminist Poetry Movement of the 1960s
  • Phillis Wheatley's Poems
  • Biography of Charlotte Brontë
  • Sarah Josepha Hale
  • National Poetry Month
  • Materials for Teachers
  • Academy of American Poets
  • American Poets Magazine

Main navigation

User account menu.

Poets.org

Search more than 3,000 biographies of contemporary and classic poets.

Page submenu block

  • library (texts, books & more)
  • materials for teachers
  • poetry near you

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. She attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, but only for one year. Her father, Edward Dickinson, was actively involved in state and national politics, serving in Congress for one term. Her brother, Austin, who attended law school and became an attorney, lived next door with his wife, Susan Gilbert. Dickinson’s younger sister, Lavinia, also lived at home, and she and Austin were intellectual companions for Dickinson during her lifetime.

Dickinson’s poetry was heavily influenced by the Metaphysical poets of seventeenth-century England, as well as her reading of the Book of Revelation and her upbringing in a Puritan New England town, which encouraged a Calvinist, orthodox, and conservative approach to Christianity. She admired the poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning , as well as John Keats . Though she was dissuaded from reading the verse of her contemporary Walt Whitman by rumors of its disgracefulness, the two poets are now connected by the distinguished place they hold as the founders of a uniquely American poetic voice. While Dickinson was extremely prolific and regularly enclosed poems in letters to friends, she was not publicly recognized during her lifetime. The first volume of her work was published posthumously in 1890 and the last in 1955. She died in Amherst in 1886.

Upon her death, Dickinson’s family discovered forty handbound volumes of nearly 1,800 poems, or “fascicles,” as they are sometimes called. Dickinson assembled these booklets by folding and sewing five or six sheets of stationery paper and copying what seem to be final versions of poems. The handwritten poems show a variety of dash-like marks of various sizes and directions (some are even vertical). The poems were initially unbound and published according to the aesthetics of her many early editors, who removed her annotations. The current standard version of her poems replaces her dashes with an en-dash, which is a closer typographical approximation to her intention. The original order of the poems was not restored until 1981, when Ralph W. Franklin used the physical evidence of the paper itself to restore her intended order, relying on smudge marks, needle punctures, and other clues to reassemble the packets. Since then, many critics have argued that there is a thematic unity in these small collections, rather than their order being simply chronological or convenient. The Manuscript Books of Emily Dickinson (Belknap Press, 1981) is the only volume that keeps the order intact.

Related Poets

Joseph Severn’s miniature of Keats, 1819

William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth, who rallied for "common speech" within poems and argued against the poetic biases of the period, wrote some of the most influential poetry in Western literature, including his most famous work,  The Prelude , which is often considered to be the crowning achievement of English romanticism.

W. B. Yeats

W. B. Yeats

William Butler Yeats, widely considered one of the greatest poets of the English language, received the 1923 Nobel Prize for Literature. His work was greatly influenced by the heritage and politics of Ireland.

Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

Born in 1809, Edgar Allan Poe had a profound impact on American and international literature as an editor, poet, and critic.

William Blake

William Blake

William Blake was born in London on November 28, 1757, to James, a hosier, and Catherine Blake. Two of his six siblings died in infancy. From early childhood, Blake spoke of having visions—at four he saw God "put his head to the window"; around age nine, while walking through the countryside, he saw a tree filled with angels.

Newsletter Sign Up

  • Academy of American Poets Newsletter
  • Academy of American Poets Educator Newsletter
  • Teach This Poem

Black History Month: Select Books 30% Off

The Life of Emily Dickinson

The Life of Emily Dickinson

Richard B. Sewall

Harvard University Press books are not shipped directly to India due to regional distribution arrangements. Buy from your local bookstore, Amazon.co.in, or Flipkart.com.

This book is not shipped directly to country due to regional distribution arrangements.

Pre-order for this book isn't available yet on our website.

This book is currently out of stock.

Edit shipping location

Dropdown items

  • Barnes and Noble
  • Bookshop.org
  • Waterstones

ISBN 9780674530805

Publication date: 07/15/1998

Winner of the National Book Award, this massively detailed biography throws a light into the study of the brilliant poet. How did Emily Dickinson, from the small window over her desk, come to see a life that included the horror, exaltation and humor that lives her poetry? With abundance and impartiality, Richard B. Sewall shows us not just the poet nor the poetry, but the woman and her life.

[A] brilliant, massively detailed biography… Emily Dickinson emerges in these pages not only as…one of the two greatest poets of America’s nineteenth century, but as an extraordinary and credible human being… Sewall is an exemplary biographer and critic, perhaps in some ironic way the kind of friend Emily sought unsuccessfully in her life. —Robert Kirsch, Los Angeles Times
By far the best and the most complete study of the poet’s life yet to be written, the result of nearly twenty years of work… The story of a long-standing affair between Austin Dickinson and a woman twenty-seven years younger than he, Mabel Loomis Todd…has not appeared in print before, and it makes an entrancing tale… A plainly authoritative work. —Richard Todd, The Atlantic
Richard Sewall’s biographical vision of Emily Dickinson is as complete as human scholarship, ingenuity, stylistic pungency, and common sense can arrive at. —R. W. B. Lewis, New Republic
Although Professor Sewall produces new material everywhere, it is in the account of the scandals that he has the most startling abundance, much of it in the form of primary documents… One must thank him for the fullness and impartiality of his presentation. —Irvin Ehrenpreis, New York Review of Books
  • Richard B. Sewall was Professor of English at Yale University.

Book Details

  • 6 x 9 inches
  • Harvard University Press

Recommendations

Du Bois’s Telegram

Du Bois’s Telegram

The Novel of Human Rights

The Novel of Human Rights

Guilty Aesthetic Pleasures

Guilty Aesthetic Pleasures

Civic Longing

Civic Longing

Poet-Critics and the Administration of Culture

Poet-Critics and the Administration of Culture

       

Sorry, there was an error adding the item to your shopping bag.

Expired session

Sorry, your session has expired. Please refresh your browser's tab.

Main navigation

An item has been added to the cart

Added to shopping bag

  • Copy to clipboard

Set your location

It looks like you're in   . Would you like to update your location?

Unavailable

Harvard University Press titles are not shipped directly to India due to local distribution arrangements.

Unavailable in country .

Shopping Bag

Your shopping bag is currently empty. Add items to your shopping bag, to complete check out.

Interesting Literature

A Short Analysis of Emily Dickinson’s ‘My life closed twice before its close’

A summary of a classic Dickinson poem by Dr Oliver Tearle

‘My life closed twice before its close’ is one of Emily Dickinson’s finest short poems. In just two quatrains, Dickinson ponders immortality and the concept of an afterlife by posing a first line which doubles up as a riddle. How can one’s life close twice before it … closes? What does she mean? The poem is worth analysing more closely because of this puzzling enigma.

My life closed twice before its close – It yet remains to see If Immortality unveil A third event to me

So huge, so hopeless to conceive As these that twice befell. Parting is all we know of heaven, And all we need of hell.

As with many of Emily Dickinson’s greatest poems , it’s impossible to pin down her poetry to one monolithic analysis or interpretation, and a critic who sought to do so would run the risk of destroying the subtle beauty of the language Dickinson uses, couched in abstractions and vague ambiguities as it often is. ‘My life closed twice before its close’ is no exception.

The rest of the poem, however, does allow us to shed some light on this memorable opening line:

emily dickinson summary of life

There are numerous people whom Emily Dickinson had known and who had died by the probably composition date of ‘My life closed twice’, which is one of the last poems in Dickinson’s manuscripts. Judge Otis Phillips Lord, with whom Dickinson appears to have shared a passionate correspondence and friendship, had died in 1884, two years before Dickinson herself died.

With this analysis of the poem in line, we might paraphrase it as follows: ‘Before I have even died myself, I have known the deaths of two people who meant so much to me that their deaths led, in a small way, to my own, by robbing my life of its vitality.

It remains to be seen whether there is an afterlife, and it’s such a vast and ungraspable concept that it’s futile to try to imagine it. Other people’s deaths are the only way we gain access to heaven, and (thankfully) the only way we can learn of hell, until we ourselves die.’

Those last two lines, which read like a sort of unspecific Miltonic allusion, are intriguing, since they appear to suggest that we gain some sense of what heaven is like, and also what hell is like, by contemplating the deaths of those close to us. Their deaths are ‘all we know’ of the afterlife, because somehow the visceral experience of losing somebody close to us allows us to gain some brief insight into what an afterlife, whether good or bad, might be like. Otherwise, we cannot conceive of such a thing:

Parting is all we know of heaven, And all we need of hell.

In a sense, this is a darker and more elliptical version of John Donne’s famous lines in his sermon:

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

We have discussed these lines of Donne’s in more detail  here .

Through the deaths of those close to her, had Emily Dickinson felt that she had gained some terrible (or wonderful) insight into what awaited her, so soon after she penned this lines? Such a biographical analysis of ‘My life closed twice’ must inevitably reach a dead end.

But then would death be an ‘end’, or a ‘close’? Dickinson could not choose but wonder at what the veil concealed from view.

emily dickinson summary of life

4 thoughts on “A Short Analysis of Emily Dickinson’s ‘My life closed twice before its close’”

  • Pingback: Analysis of Emily Dickenson’s poem ‘My life closed twice before its close.’ | Librarian Musings

Dickinson remains a favorite to speculate–such a creative enigma

Yours is a very clear-headed reading. I suppose the other leading alternative would be some life event equivalent in the poet’s life to death, something which fits into the sort of tragic spinster narrative that was predominate when I first encountered Dickinson in my youth, a view that modern scholarship has greatly modified. Your reading makes sense of the 2nd stanza as well.

With the most enigmatic Dickinson I try to just let her hymnal music carry me though a few rounds while I hope meaning breaks through. I suppose that might be like meditating on a Zen koan, and in her nature poetry she seems almost like a classical Chinese poet, a Li Bai in 19th Century New England.

Thanks, Frank – I love the comparison between Dickinson and classical Chinese poetry. There’s something about that clipped, telegrammatic style, at once full of wise pronouncements and yet full of vulnerability and uncertainty, which seems tuned into ancient philosophy. I agree that Dickinson is one of those poets whose work it’s often best just to let wash over you and enjoy the musicality – to resolve the poems too definitely risks losing sight of what she’s doing, I think :)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Discover more from interesting literature.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Emily Dickinson’s Love Life

“wild nights – wild nights were i with thee wild nights should be our luxury”  – from fr269.

E mily Dickinson never married, but because her canon includes magnificent love poems, questions concerning her love life have intrigued readers since her first publication in the 1890s. Speculation about whom she may have loved has filled and continues to fill volumes.  Her girlhood relationships, her “Master Letters,” and her correspondence with Judge Otis Lord form the backbone of these discussions.

A draft of a letter from Emily to the mysterious "Master"

A draft of a letter from Emily to the mysterious “Master”

Dickinson’s school days and young adulthood included several significant male friends, among them Benjamin Newton, a law student in her father’s office; Henry Vaughn Emmons, an Amherst College student; and George Gould, an Amherst College classmate of the poet’s brother Austin.  Early Dickinson biographers identified Gould as a suitor who may have been briefly engaged to the poet in the 1850s, and recent scholarship has shed new light on the theory (Andrews, pp. 334-335).  Her female friendships, notably with schoolmate and later sister-in-law Susan Huntington Gilbert and with mutual friend Catherine Scott Turner Anthon, have also interested Dickinson biographers, who argue whether these friendships represent typical nineteenth-century girlhood friendships or more intensely sexual and romantic relationships.

Found among Emily Dickinson’s papers shortly after her death, drafts of three letters to an unidentified “Master” provide a source of intrigue, although there is no evidence to confirm that finished versions of the letters were ever sent.  Written during the poet’s most productive period, the letters reveal passionate yet changing feelings toward the recipient.  The first, dated to spring 1858, begins “Dear Master / I am ill”; the second, dated to early 1861, starts with “Oh, did I offend it”; and the third, dated to summer 1861, opens with “Master / If you saw a bullet hit a bird” (date attributions made by R.W. Franklin).

While the letters are remarkable examples of Dickinson’s exceptional power with words, they are studied as much to attempt identification of the intended recipient as for their literary mastery.  The lengthy list of proposed candidates includes Samuel Bowles, family friend, newspaper editor and publisher; William Smith Clark, a scientist and educator based in Amherst; Charles Wadsworth, a minister whom Dickinson heard preach in Philadelphia; as well as George Gould and Susan Dickinson.  Others have posited that the letters are simply literary exercises or that the author is attempting to resolve an internal crisis.  So much about Dickinson’s life remains unknown that an entirely different or as-yet unknown candidate may yet be revealed. Unless a contemporary account is discovered that clearly identifies the “Master,” the poet’s public will remain in suspense.

A portrait of Judge Otis Phillips Lord, a Dickinson love interest

Judge Otis Phillips Lord, a Dickinson love interest

A romantic relationship late in the poet’s life with Judge Otis Phillips Lord is supported in Dickinson’s correspondence with him as well as in family references.  Lord (1812-1884) was a close friend of Edward Dickinson , the poet’s father, with whom he shared conservative political views.  Lord and his wife Elizabeth were familiar guests in the Dickinson household.  In 1859 Lord was appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court and later served on the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts (1875-1882).  His relationship with the poet developed after the death of Elizabeth Lord in 1877.  Only fifteen manuscripts in Dickinson’s hand survive from their correspondence, most in draft or fragmentary form.  Some passages seem to suggest that Dickinson and Lord contemplated marrying.  The question of whether the reclusive poet would have consented to move to Lord’s home in Salem, Massachusetts, was mooted by Lord’s decline in health.  He died in 1884, two years before Emily Dickinson.

Whatever the reality of Dickinson’s personal experiences, her poetry explores the complexities and passions of human relationships with language that is as evocative and compelling as her writings on spirituality, death, and nature.

Further Reading:

For a complete text of the Master letters, see  The Master Letters of Emily Dickinson , ed.R.W. Franklin (Amherst, Mass.:  Amherst College Press, 1986).

For an account of the discovery of Dickinson’s letters to Judge Lord, see Millicent Todd Bingham’s  Emily Dickinson:  A Revelation ( New York: Harper and Bros, 1954)

Most biographies discuss the “Master” letters and Lord relationship in some detail.  Significant discussions of the Master letters include those in Richard B. Sewall’s  The Life of Emily Dickinson ( New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1974); Cynthia G. Wolff’s  Emily Dickinson ( New York: Knopf, 1986); and Alfred Habegger’s  My Wars Are Laid Away in Books: The Life of Emily Dickinson ( New York: Random House, 2001).

In addition, several works address more directly specific individuals and their qualifications for “Master.”  Among them are

  • Andrews, Carol Damon. “Thinking Musically, Writing Expectantly:  New Biographical Information about Emily Dickinson.”  The New England Quarterly , Vol. LXXXI, no. 2 (June 2008) 330-340.  Reintroduces the possibility of George Gould as the “Master” candidate.
  • Jones, Ruth Owen. “’Neighbor – and friend – and Bridegroom –‘” William Smith Clark as Emily Dickinson’s Master Figure.”  The Emily Dickinson Journal  11.2 (2002) 48-85.
  • Mamunes, George.    “So has a Daisy vanished”:  Emily Dickinson and Tuberculosis.  McFarland, 2007.  Proposes Benjamin Franklin Newton as Master.
  • Open Me Carefully: Emily Dickinson’s Intimate Letters to Susan Huntington Dickinson . Ed. Ellen Louise Hart and Martha Nell Smith. Paris Press, 1998.   Addresses the poet’s relationship with Susan Dickinson.
  • Patterson, Rebecca.  The Riddle of Emily Dickinson .  Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1951.  Posits Kate Anthon as a love interest.

For Dickinson’s thoughts on marriage, Judith Farr’s “Emily Dickinson and Marriage: ‘the Etruscan Experiment'” in Reading Emily Dickinson’s Letters: Critical Essays (Amherst: U of Massachusetts P, 2009).

Plot Summary? We’re just getting started.

Add this title to our requested Study Guides list!

logo

Emily Dickinson

Cynthia Griffin Wolff

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1986

Plot Summary

Continue your reading experience

SuperSummary Plot Summaries provide a quick, full synopsis of a text. But SuperSummary Study Guides — available only to subscribers — provide so much more!

Join now to access our Study Guides library, which offers chapter-by-chapter summaries and comprehensive analysis on more than 5,000 literary works from novels to nonfiction to poetry.

See for yourself. Check out our sample guides:

logo

Download Fiction Sample

David And Goliath

Download Nonfiction Sample

Whales Weep Not!

Download Poetry Sample

A SuperSummary Plot Summary provides a quick, full synopsis of a text.

A SuperSummary Study Guide — a modern alternative to Sparknotes & CliffsNotes — provides so much more, including chapter-by-chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and important quotes.

See the difference for yourself. Check out this sample Study Guide:

Malcolm Gladwell

A Verse Reaction is a poetry podcast with Dr. Ann Beebe, Professor of English at The University of Texas at Tyler. Series One includes episodes on the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Anne Bradstreet, Phillis Wheatley, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Robert Lowell, Lucille Clifton, and Mary Oliver. Episodes include interviews with subject-area experts in the fields of Civil War history, Puritanism, Economics, Jazz, Math & Meter, Portrait Painting, Civil Rights, and Birds.

A Verse Reaction Dr. Ann Beebe

  • 5.0 • 7 Ratings
  • JAN 23, 2024

9 - Mary Oliver & Birds of North America

Episode Summary: Dr. Beebe interviews Jessica Coleman about Birds of North America. She then applies this context to four poems by Mary Oliver: “Swan,” “The Chat,” “Terns,” and “Snow Geese.”   Part 1 (Biography & Overview) Starts: 00.00 Part 2 (Interview with Jess Coleman) Starts: 16:57 Part 3 (Four Poems) Starts: 31:48   Dr. Beebe’s LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-beebe Emily Dickinson: A Companion: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/emily-dickinson/    12-Question Survey for Readers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R2TGWNM   Jess Coleman started at UT Tyler in August 2008 as a lecturer and graduate teaching assistant coordinator in the biology department. She was hired to teach the freshman General Biology I and II courses and coordinate all the labs.  She also teaches two upper-division courses: Ornithology and Conservation biology. Coleman coordinate 10 – 30 graduate TAs every semester.  In 2020, Coleman won the Regents Outstanding Teaching Award.  She is a Fellow of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers at UT.   As a senior lecturer, Coleman’s primary responsibility is teaching. However, she has been active in research since I started at UT Tyler. Recently, she has had several bird projects with graduate and undergraduate honors students in progress.   In 2021, Coleman received a small grant from the Audubon of Texas and Tyler Audubon Society to add Birdboxes to the university campus. This is part of a graduate student project to monitor the nesting patterns of birds on campus to examine their reproductive success throughout the year.  It should be wrapped up in Spring 2024  Coleman has two honors students working on side projects from the birdbox study. 1.    Adult eastern Bluebirds have particular defenses when guarding their nests with young. This study will focus on the behavior of Eastern Bluebirds' response to humans approaching active nests.   2.    They examine Eastern Bluebird nests after a breeding season to determine their overall nest structure and the degree of ectoparasites in urban nests.   2022 – Present: Coleman is part of a rather large multi-state USDA-NRCS grant to examine several aspects of constructed Wetlands to determine the overall health of these systems. Wetlands are experiencing significant loss due to human encroachment, which multiples lead to biodiversity loss. These systems are vital for bird species since they utilize these habitats for nesting, breeding, foraging, and other social interactions. They will conduct bird surveys in these constructed wetlands to assess the overall health of these man-made systems.   Resources: On Being Interview with Mary Oliver: https://onbeing.org/programs/mary-oliver-i-got-saved-by-the-beauty-of-the-world/  Oliver, Mary. Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver. Penguin, 2017. Oliver, Mary. Upstream: Selected Essays. Penguin, 2016. Mary Oliver reads from A Thousand Mornings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsr3ZZzH-MA  Birds of the World (Cornell) https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home  Guide to North American Birds (Audubon) https://www.audubon.org/bird-guide 

8 - Lucille Clifton & The Civil Rights Movement

Episode Summary: Dr. Beebe interviews Dr. Kenneth Bryant about the American Civil Rights Movement. She then applies this context to four poems by Lucille Clifton: “good times,” “generations,” “listen children,” and “All of Us Are All of Us.”   Part 1 (Biography & Overview) Starts: 00.00 Part 2 (Interview with Dr. Kenneth Bryant) Starts: 10:45 Part 3 (Four Poems) Starts: 20:16 Dr. Beebe’s LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-beebe Emily Dickinson: A Companion: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/emily-dickinson/    12-Question Survey for Readers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R2TGWNM   Dr. Kenneth Bryant 1.    Associate Professor of Political Science at UT-Tyler for 7 years.  2.    2023 recipient of the Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award (ROTA) 3.    An educator, political junkie, and film enthusiast. Publications: 1.    Co-author of "Battle for the Heart of Texas: Political Change in the Electorate" 2.    Working on a book project called "Is There A Bright Side?" on approaches to teaching government and political science in times of immense polarization.  Resources: The Lucille Clifton House - https://www.thecliftonhouse.org/  Clifton, Lucille. The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton, 1965-2010. BOA Editions, 2012 Holladay, Hilary. Wild Blessings: The Poetry of Lucille Clifton. LSU Press, 2012. Lucille Clifton Video, “What Poetry Is” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfYCRZ9LVh4    Lucille Clifton reads “won’t you celebrate with me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM7q_DUk5wU  History Channel on the Civil Rights Movement - https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement The Black Church (PBS) - https://www.pbs.org/show/black-church/ 

7 - Robert Lowell & Portrait Painting

Episode Summary: Dr. Beebe interviews Elizabeth Lisot-Nelson on the history of portrait painting. She then applies this context to some Robert Lowell poems: “Randall Jarrell” 1, 2, & 3, “Charles V by Titian,” and “Rembrandt.”   Part 1 (Biography & Overview) Starts: 00.00 Part 2 (Interview with Dr. Elizabeth Lisot-Nelson) Starts: 10:43 Part 3 (Four Poems) Starts: 20:38 Dr. Beebe’s LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-beebe Emily Dickinson: A Companion: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/emily-dickinson/    12-Question Survey for Readers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R2TGWNM   Dr. Lisot-Nelson is an associate professor of art history at UTT.  She specializes in Renaissance and Baroque art, and also teaches courses on women in art, ancient Greek, Roman, early Christian, Medieval and Latin American art.  Her research interests include artworks representing marginalized populations such as illegitimate children, refugees, slaves and servants.   Dr. Lisot-Nelson presents academic papers on artists such as Federico Barocci, Raphael, Titian, Ghirlandaio and Velázquez.  Forthcoming fall 2023: "The Jewish Bride and Oriental Concubine: Raphael's Donna Velata (Veiled Woman) and La Fornarina (Baker's Daugher)" in Renaissance Papers 2022:  https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781640141643/renaissance-papers-2022/ “Refugees of War: Federico Barocci’s Aeneas Fleeing Troy, Classical Antecedents to Contemporary Issues” journal article in: Konsthistorisk Tidskrift / Journal of Art History, Routledge: Taylor & Francis Publisher, Vol. 89, Issue 1 (2020): 33-56.  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00233609.2020.1742786    Resources: “Equestrian Portrait of Charles V” by Titian (1548) https://www.titian.org/equestrian-portrait-of-charles-v.jsp  “The Jewish Bride” by Rembrandt (1665-1669) https://smarthistory.org/rembrandt-jewish-bride/  “Bathsheba at her Bath” by Rembrandt (1654) https://www.rembrandtpaintings.com/bathsheba-at-her-bath.jsp  “Randall Jarrell” by Betty Watson (1963) https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.2007.171  Robert Lowell reads “Skunk Hour” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSlcc2b02yc  Lowell, Robert. Collected Poems. Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2007. Lowell, Robert and Elizabeth Bishop. Words in Air: The Complete Correspondence between Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell. Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2010. 

6 - Langston Hughes & Jazz

Episode Summary: Dr. Beebe interviews Dr. Sarah Roberts on American Jazz Music. She then applies the context to four poems by Langston Hughes: “Jazzonia,” “The Weary Blues,” “Minnie Sings Her Blues,” and “Lennox Avenue: Midnight.”   Part 1 (Biography & Overview) Starts: 00.00 Part 2 (Interview with Dr. Sarah Roberts) Starts: 15:15 Part 3 (Four Poems) Starts: 28:45 Dr. Beebe’s LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-beebe Emily Dickinson: A Companion: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/emily-dickinson/    12-Question Survey for Readers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R2TGWNM   Dr. Sarah Roberts - Associate Professor of Music teaching saxophone and jazz at UT Tyler - in her 10th year at UT Tyler Serving as the Interim Director of the School of Performing Arts Has an extremely diverse background of performing classical, jazz, and all points in between.  In jazz has performed with Phil Woods, Tom Bones Malone, Wayne Bergeron, Kirk Whalum, Chris Vadala, and Clay Jenkins. Dr. Roberts has also performed for such acts as The O’Jays, Johnny Mathis, and The Temptations. She is a Selmer Performing Artist and a Vandoren Artist Clinician. For more information: sarahlynnroberts.com   Resources: Getty Images: Langston Hughes - https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/langston-hughes  National Portrait Gallery: Langston Hughes by Winhold Reiss https://npg.si.edu/learn/classroom-resource/langston-hughes-1902%E2%80%931967  Hughes, Langston and Arnold Rampersad. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. Vintage, 1995. Rampersad, Arnold. The Life of Langston Hughes (2 vol). Oxford, 2002. Video of Hughes reading “The Weary Blues”: https://www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2014/jazz-poetry-langston-hughes  Audio of Hughes reading several poems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwRF7mU4zrg  Jacob Lawrence - https://www.moas.org/Jacob-Lawrence-and-the-Harlem-Renaissance-1-57.html [See 1943’s Nightlife] and https://www.moma.org/artists/3418#works 

5 - Robert Frost & Poetic Meter

Episode Summary: Dr. Beebe interviews Dr. Nathan Smith on the connection between poetic meter and math. She then applies this context to four poems by Robert Frost: “Acquainted with the Night,” “Design,” “Once by the Pacific,” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”   Part 1 (Biography & Overview) Starts: 00.00 Part 2 (Interview with Dr. Nathan Smith) Starts: 16:51 Part 3 (Four Poems) Starts: 37:14 Dr. Beebe’s LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-beebe Emily Dickinson: A Companion: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/emily-dickinson/    12-Question Survey for Readers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R2TGWNM   Dr. Nathan Smith grew up in Maryland and went to school in Virginia, but eventually found his way to Texas and has been here for over 20 years, so if he's not a ``real Texan'' by now he's as close as you can get while wearing flip flops instead of cowboy boots.  His mathematical interests range from statistics to math education to oddball algebraic structures that break all of the rules.  In his spare time, he likes playing musical instruments, practicing taekwondo (badly), and homebrewing beer.  He also spent years writing poems for his kids and is an unaccomplished children's poet.   Some links to projects that might interest non-mathematicians:   A Preliminary Investigation Into the Effect of Bell Cover and Filter on Pitch of Wind Instruments: https://www.tmea.org/wp-content/uploads/Research/Emg2022.pdf   Minimal Knotting Numbers: https://faculty.washington.edu/cemann/S0218216509007373.pdf   Resources: Frost: Collected Poetry, Prose, and Plays. Library of America, 1995. Parini, Jay. Robert Frost: A Life. Holt, 1999. Steele, Timothy. All the Fun’s in How You Say a Thing: An Explanation of Meter & Versification. Ohio University Press, 1999. Video of Robert Frost at JFK’s Inauguration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AILGO3gVlTU  Video of Robert Frost Reading 4 Poems: https://www.kennedy-center.org/video/center/other/2020/robert-frost/ 

4 - Phillis Wheatley & The Economics of the Literary Marketplace

Episode Summary: Dr. Beebe interview Susan Doty about the Economics of the Seventeenth-Century Literary Marketplace. She then applies this context to four poems by Phillis Wheatley: “On Being Brough from Africa to America,” “To the Right Honourable William, Earl of Dartmouth,” “To S.M. a young African Painter,” and “To His Excellency General Washington.”   Part 1 (Biography & Overview) Starts: 00.00 Part 2 (Interview with Susan Doty) Starts: 19:36 Part 3 (Four Poems) Starts: 32:39   Dr. Beebe’s LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-beebe Emily Dickinson: A Companion: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/emily-dickinson/    12-Question Survey for Readers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R2TGWNM Susan Doty is in her 15th year teaching at UT Tyler and her 30th year teaching in higher education, with previous experience at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, the Maxwell School of Public Policy at Syracuse University in New York, and the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. She has been recognized for excellent teaching with multiple awards. including the University of Texas System Regents Outstanding Teaching Award (the ROTA), the UT Tyler Student Life and Leadership Partner Award, the UT Tyler National Society of Leadership Student Choice Faculty Award, the UT Tyler Alpha Chi Outstanding Faculty Award, the Thad Cochran Economic Education Hall of Fame Award, and the National Albert Beekhuis Award for service to teachers and community. She serves on both the UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers as a faculty fellow and the UT Tyler Academy of Distinguished Teachers as a founding fellow and past president. Most recently, she was awarded the title of Distinguished Teaching Professor, and the promotion to Distinguished Senior Lecturer. Doty has taught close to 7,500 UT Tyler students. In addition to her faculty role at UT Tyler, she is the founding and executive director of the Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy (CEEFL) at UT Tyler. She launched this center in 2010, after doing the same in Mississippi, to provide outreach to P-20 (pre-school to graduate school) educators to teach them how to integrate economics and personal finance into everything they teach. In this role, she has taught thousands of Texas K-12 teachers and has served on multiple state and national boards of directors. These include the Council for Economic Education in New York, the National Association of Economic Educators, the Global Economic Education Alliance, and the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Finance. Resources: Carretta, Vincent. Phillis Wheatley Peters: Biography of a Genius in Bondage. U  of GA Press, 2023. Dayton, Cornelia H. “Lost Years Recovered: John Peters and Phillis Wheatley  Peters in Middleton.” The New England Quarterly, vol. XCIV, no. 3, September 2021, pp. 309-351. Waldstreicher, David. The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet’s Journeys  Through American Slavery and Independence. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2023. "The Genius of Phillis Wheatley Peters" Project: https://wheatleypetersproject.weebly.com/

  • © 2024 The University of Texas at Tyler - UT Tyler Radio

Customer Reviews

Educational and entertaining.

If you have any interest in poetry at all, subscribe to this podcast. Dr. Beebe attacks poetry like a soldier to battle, like a dancer to music, like a chef to a banquet. You will feel like an expert after listening to just one episode. I feel like I just heard a university lecture, but more fun and casual.

Top Podcasts In Arts

You might also like.

emily dickinson summary of life

I heard a Fly buzz - when I died - Summary & Analysis by Emily Dickinson

  • Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
  • Poetic Devices
  • Vocabulary & References
  • Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
  • Line-by-Line Explanations

emily dickinson summary of life

"I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" was written by the American poet Emily Dickinson in 1862, but, as with most Dickinson poems, it was not published during her lifetime. It has since become one of her most famous and one of her most ambiguous poems, talking about the moment of death from the perspective of a person who is already dead. On the one hand, this death seems to follow standard protocol: the speaker is on their deathbed and surrounded by mourners, and their will is squared away. However, the irritating figure of the fly arrives and undermines the seriousness and gravity of the occasion. Though spoken from the great beyond, the poem offers no easy answers about death, instead casting doubt on religious and social comforts.

  • Read the full text of “I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -”

emily dickinson summary of life

The Full Text of “I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -”

1 I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -

2 The Stillness in the Room

3 Was like the Stillness in the Air -

4 Between the Heaves of Storm -

5 The Eyes around - had wrung them dry -

6 And Breaths were gathering firm

7 For that last Onset - when the King

8 Be witnessed - in the Room -

9 I willed my Keepsakes - Signed away

10 What portion of me be

11 Assignable - and then it was

12 There interposed a Fly -

13 With Blue - uncertain - stumbling Buzz -

14 Between the light - and me -

15 And then the Windows failed - and then

16 I could not see to see -

“I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -” Summary

“i heard a fly buzz - when i died -” themes.

Theme The Mystery of Death

The Mystery of Death

  • See where this theme is active in the poem.

Theme Ritual and Meaning

Ritual and Meaning

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “i heard a fly buzz - when i died -”.

I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -

emily dickinson summary of life

The Stillness in the Room Was like the Stillness in the Air - Between the Heaves of Storm -

The Eyes around - had wrung them dry - And Breaths were gathering firm For that last Onset - when the King Be witnessed - in the Room -

I willed my Keepsakes - Signed away What portion of me be Assignable

Lines 11-14

- and then it was There interposed a Fly - With Blue - uncertain - stumbling Buzz - Between the light - and me -

Lines 15-16

And then the Windows failed - and then I could not see to see -

“I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -” Symbols

Symbol The Fly

  • See where this symbol appears in the poem.

Symbol Light and Dark

Light and Dark

“i heard a fly buzz - when i died -” poetic devices & figurative language, alliteration.

  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

Juxtaposition

“i heard a fly buzz - when i died -” vocabulary.

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

  • See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -”

Rhyme scheme, “i heard a fly buzz - when i died -” speaker, “i heard a fly buzz - when i died -” setting, literary and historical context of “i heard a fly buzz - when i died -”, more “i heard a fly buzz - when i died -” resources, external resources.

Dickinson's Meter — A valuable discussion of Emily Dickinson's use of meter.

In Emily's Words — An image of the only known draft of the poem in Dickinson's own handwriting.

The Poem Animated — A spooky animation of the poem.

More From Dickinson — A link to numerous other Emily Dickinson poems.

The Dickinson Museum — The Emily Dickinson Museum, situated in the poet's old house, has lots of resources for students.

On Playing Emily — A clip in which actor Cynthia Nixon discusses playing Emily Dickinson on screen in "A Quiet Passion."

In Our Time podcast — Experts talk about Emily Dickinson's life and work on the BBC's In Our Time podcast/radio show.

LitCharts on Other Poems by Emily Dickinson

A Bird, came down the Walk

After great pain, a formal feeling comes –

A Light exists in Spring

A Murmur in the Trees—to note—

A narrow Fellow in the Grass

An awful Tempest mashed the air—

As imperceptibly as grief

A still—Volcano—Life—

Because I could not stop for Death —

Before I got my eye put out

Fame is a fickle food

Hope is the thing with feathers

I cannot live with You –

I cautious, scanned my little life

I could bring You Jewels—had I a mind to—

I did not reach Thee

I died for Beauty—but was scarce

I dreaded that first Robin, so

I dwell in Possibility –

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain

If I can stop one heart from breaking

I had been hungry, all the Years

I have a Bird in spring

I like a look of Agony

I like to see it lap the Miles

I measure every Grief I meet

I’m Nobody! Who are you?

I started Early — Took my Dog —

I taste a liquor never brewed

It was not Death, for I stood up

I—Years—had been—from Home—

Like Rain it sounded till it curved

Much Madness is divinest Sense -

My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun

Nature is what we see

One need not be a Chamber — to be Haunted

Publication — is the Auction

Safe in their Alabaster Chambers

Success is counted sweetest

Tell all the truth but tell it slant —

The Brain—is wider than the Sky—

The Bustle in a House

The Mushroom is the Elf of Plants

There came a Wind like a Bugle

There is no Frigate like a Book

There's a certain Slant of light

There's been a Death, in the Opposite House

The saddest noise, the sweetest noise

The Sky is low — the Clouds are mean

The Soul has bandaged moments

The Soul selects her own Society

The Wind – tapped like a tired Man –

They shut me up in Prose –

This is my letter to the world

This World is not Conclusion

'Twas the old—road—through pain—

We grow accustomed to the Dark

What mystery pervades a well!

Whose cheek is this?

Wild nights - Wild nights!

Everything you need for every book you read.

The LitCharts.com logo.

INSIDER

What to watch next if you loved 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story'

Posted: December 31, 2023 | Last updated: December 31, 2023

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" is a spinoff of Netflix's hit show "Bridgerton."</li><li>If you want another complicated but sweet love story, watch "Outlander" or "Normal People."</li><li>Check out "Dickinson" and "The Buccaneers" if you're craving a modern period drama.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/queen-charlotte-details-easter-eggs-missed-bridgerton-spinoff-2023-5">"Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story"</a> is a prequel series about the fan-favorite monarch from Netflix's hit <a href="https://www.insider.com/queen-charlotte-bridgerton-references-easter-eggs-details-main-show-2023-5">"Bridgerton"</a> series.</p><p>The story takes fans back in time to follow a <a href="https://www.insider.com/queen-charlotte-a-bridgerton-story-adult-and-teenage-cast-photos-2023-3">young Queen Charlotte</a> as she is forced to marry the <a href="https://www.insider.com/queen-charlotte-a-bridgerton-story-real-ages-versus-characters-2023-5">king of England</a> and gets thrust into a culture she knows nothing about.</p><p>The show is unlikely to get a second season because it is a limited series, but here are nine similar shows to watch if you want more romance stories or period dramas.</p><div class="read-original">Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shows-like-queen-charlotte-a-bridgerton-story-period-dramas-romance-2023-12">Business Insider</a></div>

  • "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" is a spinoff of Netflix's hit show "Bridgerton."
  • If you want another complicated but sweet love story, watch "Outlander" or "Normal People."
  • Check out "Dickinson" and "The Buccaneers" if you're craving a modern period drama.

"Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" is a prequel series about the fan-favorite monarch from Netflix's hit "Bridgerton" series.

The story takes fans back in time to follow a young Queen Charlotte as she is forced to marry the king of England and gets thrust into a culture she knows nothing about.

The show is unlikely to get a second season because it is a limited series, but here are nine similar shows to watch if you want more romance stories or period dramas.

<p><strong>Summary: </strong>Set in 19th-century London, the hit Netflix series follows the unconventional Bridgerton family as they try to find love. The local gossip writer, Lady Whistledown, narrates the family's exploits. Each <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bridgerton-season-3-skips-benedict-story-colin-penelope-reason-2023-12?IR=T&r=US">season</a> focuses on a different sibling.</p><p><strong>Why you'll like it: </strong>If "Queen Charlotte" is the first <a href="https://www.insider.com/queen-charlotte-bridgerton-ending-explained-character-guide-2023-5">"Bridgerton"</a> series you have seen, you will be glad to know the main show is just as great.</p><p>"Bridgerton" is streaming on Netflix.</p>

1. "Bridgerton"

Summary: Set in 19th-century London, the hit Netflix series follows the unconventional Bridgerton family as they try to find love. The local gossip writer, Lady Whistledown, narrates the family's exploits. Each season focuses on a different sibling.

Why you'll like it: If "Queen Charlotte" is the first "Bridgerton" series you have seen, you will be glad to know the main show is just as great.

"Bridgerton" is streaming on Netflix.

<p><strong>Summary: </strong>Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) is a former White House employee who started her own crisis management firm. Her firm works closely with the White House, bringing her closer to her former employer, President Fitzgerald Grant III (Tony Goldwyn).</p><p><strong>Why you'll like it: </strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/shonda-rhimes-showrunner-creator-queen-charlotte-bridgerton-2023-4">Shonda Rhimes</a>, an executive producer of the main "Bridgerton" series, had a more active role with "Queen Charlotte" as its showrunner and writer. This is likely why the miniseries felt more sincere and profound than the main series. If you loved "Queen Charlotte," you will quickly become a fan of Rhimes' best work, <a href="https://www.insider.com/scandal-secrets-fun-facts-2018-9">"Scandal."</a></p><p>"Scandal" is streaming on Hulu.</p>

2. "Scandal"

Summary: Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) is a former White House employee who started her own crisis management firm. Her firm works closely with the White House, bringing her closer to her former employer, President Fitzgerald Grant III (Tony Goldwyn).

Why you'll like it: Shonda Rhimes , an executive producer of the main "Bridgerton" series, had a more active role with "Queen Charlotte" as its showrunner and writer. This is likely why the miniseries felt more sincere and profound than the main series. If you loved "Queen Charlotte," you will quickly become a fan of Rhimes' best work, "Scandal."

"Scandal" is streaming on Hulu.

<p><strong>Summary: </strong>Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) have very different backgrounds despite coming from the same small town in Ireland. The series tracks their romantic relationship over many years.</p><p><strong>Why you'll like it: </strong>While "Queen Charlotte" has several characters, the central focus is the tumultuous relationship between <a href="https://www.insider.com/fact-vs-fiction-bridgerton-netflix-queen-charlotte-king-george-2023-4">Charlotte and King George.</a> "Normal People" is perfect for fans who love the complicated central romance in "Queen Charlotte" and its <a href="https://www.insider.com/normal-people-review-hulu-sally-rooney-2020-4">steamy scenes</a>.</p><p>"Normal People" is streaming on Hulu.</p>

3. "Normal People"

Summary: Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) have very different backgrounds despite coming from the same small town in Ireland. The series tracks their romantic relationship over many years.

Why you'll like it: While "Queen Charlotte" has several characters, the central focus is the tumultuous relationship between Charlotte and King George. "Normal People" is perfect for fans who love the complicated central romance in "Queen Charlotte" and its steamy scenes .

"Normal People" is streaming on Hulu.

<p><strong>Summary: </strong>"Gentleman Jack" is about the real-life historical landowner Anne Lister, sometimes known as "the first modern lesbian." In this series, Anne (Suranne Jones) heads to Halifax, England, to restore her uncle's estate and find a wife.</p><p><strong>Why you'll like it: </strong>"Queen Charlotte" reveals that the queen's head servant, <a href="https://www.insider.com/queen-charlotte-bridgerton-what-happened-reynolds-explainer-2023-5">Brimsley</a>, is gay. However, his love story is kept in the background. If you would like an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/learning/best-lgbtq-romance-books?IR=T&r=US">LGBTQ+ period romance</a> where the queer characters take center stage, "Gentleman Jack" is the show for you.</p><p>"Gentleman Jack" is streaming on Max.</p>

4. "Gentleman Jack"

Summary: "Gentleman Jack" is about the real-life historical landowner Anne Lister, sometimes known as "the first modern lesbian." In this series, Anne (Suranne Jones) heads to Halifax, England, to restore her uncle's estate and find a wife.

Why you'll like it: "Queen Charlotte" reveals that the queen's head servant, Brimsley , is gay. However, his love story is kept in the background. If you would like an LGBTQ+ period romance where the queer characters take center stage, "Gentleman Jack" is the show for you.

"Gentleman Jack" is streaming on Max.

<p><strong>Summary: </strong>Hailee Steinfeld plays the real-life American poet Emily Dickinson in this coming-of-age period drama. Emily dreams of becoming the world's greatest poet, but her family regards her as a troublemaker.</p><p>While her parents are set on finding her a suitor, she has fallen in love with her brother's fiancé.</p><p><strong>Why you'll like it: </strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/dickinson-stars-say-shooting-civil-war-scenes-was-therapeutic-2021-11">"Dickinson"</a> is more surreal than a normal drama, but it joins "Bridgerton" as part of the new wave of diverse, modern period dramas. It's also <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/dickinson">highly regarded</a> by audiences and critics alike.</p><p>"Dickinson" is streaming on Apple TV+.</p>

5. "Dickinson"

Summary: Hailee Steinfeld plays the real-life American poet Emily Dickinson in this coming-of-age period drama. Emily dreams of becoming the world's greatest poet, but her family regards her as a troublemaker.

While her parents are set on finding her a suitor, she has fallen in love with her brother's fiancé.

Why you'll like it: "Dickinson" is more surreal than a normal drama, but it joins "Bridgerton" as part of the new wave of diverse, modern period dramas. It's also highly regarded by audiences and critics alike.

"Dickinson" is streaming on Apple TV+.

<p><strong>Summary: </strong>"The Spanish Princess" recounts the rise and fall of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of the famous King Henry VIII of England.</p><p>The young princess of Spain (Charlotte Hope) is sent to England to meet her betrothed, Arthur, Prince of Wales. However, his sudden death almost causes a war between England and Spain.</p><p><strong>Why you'll like it: </strong>There are numerous similarities between "The Spanish Princess" and "Queen Charlotte." For example, both shows are loosely based on <a href="https://www.insider.com/bridgerton-resurfaces-theory-queen-charlotte-was-black-2021-1">real monarchs</a>. "The Spanish Princess" is perfect for fans interested in the royal lifestyle aspect of "Queen Charlotte."</p><p>"The Spanish Princess" is streaming on Starz.</p>

6. "The Spanish Princess"

Summary: "The Spanish Princess" recounts the rise and fall of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of the famous King Henry VIII of England.

The young princess of Spain (Charlotte Hope) is sent to England to meet her betrothed, Arthur, Prince of Wales. However, his sudden death almost causes a war between England and Spain.

Why you'll like it: There are numerous similarities between "The Spanish Princess" and "Queen Charlotte." For example, both shows are loosely based on real monarchs . "The Spanish Princess" is perfect for fans interested in the royal lifestyle aspect of "Queen Charlotte."

"The Spanish Princess" is streaming on Starz.

<p><strong>Summary: </strong>"The Great" is a satire loosely based on the rise of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia. After Catherine (Elle Fanning) marries Emperor Peter of Russia (Nicholas Hoult), she realizes he is a spiteful, selfish brat. Hence, she begins to plot to overthrow him.</p><p><strong>Why you'll like it: </strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-great-sacha-dhawan-praises-orlo-sexuality-exploration-interview-2021-12">"The Great"</a> reminds us that a period drama can be really funny. The series also boasts brilliant Emmy-nominated performances from both Fanning and Hoult.</p><p>"The Great" is streaming on Hulu.</p>

7. "The Great"

Summary: "The Great" is a satire loosely based on the rise of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia. After Catherine (Elle Fanning) marries Emperor Peter of Russia (Nicholas Hoult), she realizes he is a spiteful, selfish brat. Hence, she begins to plot to overthrow him.

Why you'll like it: "The Great" reminds us that a period drama can be really funny. The series also boasts brilliant Emmy-nominated performances from both Fanning and Hoult.

"The Great" is streaming on Hulu.

<p><strong>Summary: </strong>Based on <span>Diana Gabaldon's</span> book series of the same name, <a href="https://www.insider.com/outlander-prequel-series-blood-of-my-blood-premiere-date-cast-2023-9">"Outlander"</a> follows a nurse who is magically sent back in time from 1945 to 1743. To survive, Claire (Caitríona Balfe) joins a group of rebels and marries a highlander, Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan).</p><p><strong>Why you'll like it: </strong>Before "Bridgerton" came along, "Outlander" was <em>the</em> historical romance TV series. It is easy to fall in love with the show, its leads, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/outlander-fan-moved-from-america-to-scotland-2023-10">the Scottish setting.</a></p><p>"Outlander" is streaming on Netflix and Starz.</p>

8. "Outlander"

Summary: Based on Diana Gabaldon's book series of the same name, "Outlander" follows a nurse who is magically sent back in time from 1945 to 1743. To survive, Claire (Caitríona Balfe) joins a group of rebels and marries a highlander, Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan).

Why you'll like it: Before "Bridgerton" came along, "Outlander" was the historical romance TV series. It is easy to fall in love with the show, its leads, and the Scottish setting.

"Outlander" is streaming on Netflix and Starz.

<p><strong>Summary: </strong>Five young American women travel to 1870s London to find suitors. The outspoken friends struggle to succeed due to <a href="https://www.insider.com/us-uk-style-differences-the-buccaneers-show-2023-11">a culture clash</a> with stuffy English society.</p><p><strong>Why you'll like it: </strong>"The Buccaneers" focuses on race and social class clashes, similar to <a href="https://www.insider.com/buccaneers-producers-wanted-to-avoid-bridgerton-similarities-costume-designer-says-2023-11">"Queen Charlotte."</a> Both shows also feature a modern soundtrack and a diverse cast.</p><p>"The Buccaneers" breaks away from its predecessors by anchoring on the importance of friendship rather than love.</p><p>"The Buccaneers" is streaming on Apple TV+.</p>

9. "The Buccaneers"

Summary: Five young American women travel to 1870s London to find suitors. The outspoken friends struggle to succeed due to a culture clash with stuffy English society.

Why you'll like it: "The Buccaneers" focuses on race and social class clashes, similar to "Queen Charlotte." Both shows also feature a modern soundtrack and a diverse cast.

"The Buccaneers" breaks away from its predecessors by anchoring on the importance of friendship rather than love.

"The Buccaneers" is streaming on Apple TV+.

More for You

5 questions that reverberate from Trump’s civil fraud trial

5 questions that reverberate from Trump’s civil fraud trial

Lindsey Graham speaks in Washington DC

Lindsey Graham Is a 'Terrorist': Russia

William Hogarth - Marriage a la mode - The tete a tete

We are too stupid to see the Dark Ages are back

Napa Valley vineyard-1469282580.jpg

FBI seeks information on several California wineries and their owners

Solzhenitsyn’s Warning

Solzhenitsyn’s Warning

NBA Champion Point Guard Is A Free Agent

NBA Champion Point Guard Is A Free Agent

E. Jean Carroll's Lawyer Answers Question On Potential Third Lawsuit Against Trump

E. Jean Carroll's Lawyer Answers Question On Potential Third Lawsuit Against Trump

Alert: See MAGA ‘Christian nationalism’ debunked by director Rob Reiner

Alert: See MAGA ‘Christian nationalism’ debunked by director Rob Reiner

Price Battle

Major Supermarket Drops Pepsi and Lay’s for Too High Price Tags

Kansas state Reps. Mark Schreiber, left, R-Emporia; Carl Maughan, center, R-Colwich, and Susan Humphries, right, R-Wichita, confer during a House vote on overriding Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a GOP tax plan, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Schreiber was among five House Republicans who voted against overriding Kelly's veto, helping to sustain it. (AP Photo/John Hanna)

Republican dissenters sink a GOP 'flat' tax plan in Kansas by upholding the governor's veto

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter

Beyoncé becomes first Black woman with No. 1 country song for 'Texas Hold 'Em'

Tim Cook

Don’t dry your iPhone in rice – do this instead, says Apple

University Fatal Shooting

Parkland survivor trolls Trump’s new sneaker venture by buying domain and directing visitors to gun safety site

Fani Willis ethics case may reverberate long after judge decision: Experts

Fani Willis ethics case may reverberate long after judge decision: Experts

Melanie Kusin Rowe of Korn Ferry Dies at 71

Melanie Kusin Rowe of Korn Ferry Dies at 71

Alexander the Great's half-brother found to be his father – and vice versa

Alexander the Great's half-brother found to be his father – and vice versa

Norma Anderson, 91, keeps a copy of the US Constitution in her purse and believes it shows that Donald Trump is ineligible to return to the White House

Norma Anderson: the 91-year-old challenging Trump at US Supreme Court

CNN media reporter: Network CEO Licht has ‘lost the room’

Avlon files to run for Congress after leaving CNN

Pouring hydrogen peroxide on tile floor

What It Means When Your Hydrogen Peroxide Doesn't Fizz While Cleaning

MAGA Are More Likely to Endorse ‘Delusional’ and ‘Pro-Violent’ Beliefs, Study Reveals

Russian broadcasters critique Trump supporters as “not very smart primitive people” on national TV

  • International edition
  • Australia edition
  • Europe edition

Baftas 2024: the complete list of winners

Every prize at the British Academy Film awards from the Royal Festival Hall in London

  • Fox, Grant and Perry: who were the real stars of this year’s Baftas?
  • Oppenheimer takes top Baftas
  • Peter Bradshaw’s verdict
  • The Bafta ceremony and backstage – in pictures

Baftas 2024: the red carpet, the ceremony, the winners – as it happened

Anatomy of a Fall The Holdovers Killers of the Flower Moon Oppenheimer – WINNER! Poor Things

Outstanding British film

All of Us Strangers How to Have Sex Napoleon The Old Oak Poor Things Rye Lane Saltburn Scrapper Wonka The Zone of Interest – WINNER!

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer

Blue Bag Life – Lisa Selby (director), Rebecca Lloyd-Evans (director, producer), Alex Fry (producer) Bobi Wine: The People’s President – Christopher Sharp (director) [also directed by Moses Bwayo] Earth Mama – Savanah Leaf (writer, director, producer), Shirley O’Connor (producer), Medb Riordan (producer) – WINNER! How to Have Sex – Molly Manning Walker (writer, director) Is There Anybody Out There? – Ella Glendining (director)

Best film not in the English language

20 Days in Mariupol Anatomy of a Fall Past Lives Society of the Snow The Zone of Interest – WINNER!

Best documentary

20 Days in Mariupol – WINNER! American Symphony Beyond Utopia Still: A Michael J Fox Movie Wham!

Best animated film

The Boy and the Heron – WINNER! Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Elemental Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best director

Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall Alexander Payne, The Holdovers Bradley Cooper, Maestro Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer – WINNER! Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

Best original screenplay

Anatomy of a Fall – WINNER! Barbie The Holdovers Maestro Past Lives

Best adapted screenplay

All of Us Strangers American Fiction – WINNER! Oppenheimer Poor Things The Zone of Interest

Best leading actress

Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall Carey Mulligan, Maestro Vivian Oparah, Rye Lane Margot Robbie, Barbie Emma Stone, Poor Things – WINNER!

Best leading actor

Bradley Cooper, Maestro Colman Domingo, Rustin Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers Barry Keoghan, Saltburn Cillian Murphy , Oppenheimer – WINNER! Teo Yoo, Past Lives

Best supporting actress

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple Claire Foy, All of Us Strangers Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest Rosamund Pike, Saltburn Da’ Vine Joy Randolph , The Holdovers – WINNER!

Best supporting actor

Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer – WINNER! Jacob Elordi, Saltburn Ryan Gosling, Barbie Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers


Best casting

All of Us Strangers Anatomy of a Fall The Holdovers – WINNER! How to Have Sex Killers of the Flower Moon

Best cinematography

Killers of the Flower Moon Maestro Oppenheimer – WINNER! Poor Things The Zone of Interest

Best editing

Anatomy of a Fall Killers of the Flower Moon Oppenheimer – WINNER! Poor Things The Zone of Interest

Best costume design

Barbie Killers of the Flower Moon Napoleon Oppenheimer Poor Things – WINNER!

Best makeup and hair

Killers of the Flower Moon Maestro Napoleon Oppenheimer Poor Things – WINNER!

Best original score

Killers of the Flower Moon Oppenheimer – WINNER! Poor Things Saltburn Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best production design

Barbie Killers of the Flower Moon Oppenheimer Poor Things – WINNER! The Zone of Interest

Ferrari Maestro Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Oppenheimer The Zone of Interest – WINNER!

Best special visual effects

The Creator Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Napoleon Poor Things
– WINNER!

Best British short animation

Crab Day – WINNER! Visible Mending Wild Summon

Best British short film

Festival of Slaps Gorka Jellyfish and Lobster – WINNER! Such a Lovely Day Yellow

EE Rising Star award (voted for by the public)

Phoebe Dynevor Ayo Edebiri Jacob Elordi Mia Mc Kenna-Bruce – WINNER! Sophie Wilde

  • Baftas 2024
  • Awards and prizes

More on this story

emily dickinson summary of life

Emma Stone embraces method dressing at Baftas with Bella Baxter-inspired look

emily dickinson summary of life

Backstage at the 2024 Baftas – in pictures

emily dickinson summary of life

Baftas 2024: Emma Stone, Gillian Anderson and Cillian Murphy on the big night – in pictures

emily dickinson summary of life

Hugh Grant, Michael J Fox – and Matthew Perry: who were the real stars of this year’s Baftas?

emily dickinson summary of life

‘A must-watch show’: David Tennant to present this year’s film Baftas

emily dickinson summary of life

Peter Bradshaw’s Baftas predictions: which films will win – and which should?

emily dickinson summary of life

Christopher Nolan set for triumphant Baftas homecoming with Oppenheimer

Most viewed.

IMAGES

  1. The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Emily Dickinson

    emily dickinson summary of life

  2. PPT

    emily dickinson summary of life

  3. Emily Dickinson`s Life

    emily dickinson summary of life

  4. PPT

    emily dickinson summary of life

  5. Emily Dickinson 1830-1886 General Summary Emily Dickinson

    emily dickinson summary of life

  6. Biography of Emily Dickinson, American Poet

    emily dickinson summary of life

COMMENTS

  1. Emily Dickinson

    Emily Dickinson (born December 10, 1830, Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S.—died May 15, 1886, Amherst) American lyric poet who lived in seclusion and commanded a singular brilliance of style and integrity of vision. With Walt Whitman, Dickinson is widely considered to be one of the two leading 19th-century American poets.

  2. Emily Dickinson Study Guide: Brief Overview

    Brief Overview Next Emily Dickinson, the "Belle of Amherst", is one of the most highly-regarded poets ever to write. In America, perhaps only Walt Whitman is her equal in legend and in degree of influence.

  3. Emily Dickinson

    (1830-1886) Who Was Emily Dickinson? Emily Dickinson left school as a teenager, eventually living a reclusive life on the family homestead. There, she secretly created bundles of poetry...

  4. Emily Dickinson

    After studying at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she briefly attended the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's home in Amherst. Evidence suggests that Dickinson lived much of her life in isolation.

  5. A Timeline of Emily Dickinson's Life and Legacy

    Emily Dickinson's Life and Legacy 1813 Samuel Fowler Dickinson, Emily Dickinson's paternal Grandfather, builds the Homestead on Main Street in Amherst. "To ascertain the House and if the soul's within and hold the Wick of mine to it to light, and then return -" (Dickinson, Fr802) 1821

  6. Biography of Emily Dickinson, American Poet

    Emily Dickinson (December 10, 1830-May 15, 1886) was an American poet best known for her eccentric personality and her frequent themes of death and mortality. Although she was a prolific writer, only a few of her poems were published during her lifetime.

  7. Biography

    Included here is information about the town where Dickinson lived, as well as essays about members of Dickinson's family; important friends (including her dog Carlo); her impressive schooling; her loves of reading and of gardening; domestic life in the Dickinson household; Dickinson's love life; her attitudes toward and experiences with religion...

  8. About Emily Dickinson

    Edgar Allan Poe. Emily Dickinson - Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. While she was extremely prolific as a poet and regularly enclosed poems in letters to friends, she was not publicly recognized during her lifetime. She died in Amherst in 1886, and the first volume of her work was published posthumously ...

  9. Emily Dickinson

    1830-1886 http://www.edickinson.org Photo by Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Emily Dickinson is one of America's greatest and most original poets of all time. She took definition as her province and challenged the existing definitions of poetry and the poet's work.

  10. About Emily Dickinson (Biography & Facts)

    Dickinson is without a doubt one of the most prolific American poets of her generation. She wrote hundreds of poems and chose to have around ten published. After her death, her sister Lavinia discovered a collection of almost 1800 poems amongst her possessions. The volume, Complete Poems was published in 1955.

  11. Emily Dickinson Study Guide

    Biography Study Guide Jump to: Summary Key People Key Terms and Events Further Study Summary Read a brief overview of the subject's life, or longer summaries of major events and achievements. Brief Overview Context 1830-1847: Childhood Years 1847-1848: Boarding School and a Return Home 1848-1850: The Great Revival and Poetic Beginnings

  12. Dickinson's Poetry: Study Guide

    Overview Emily Dickinson was an American poet born in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1830 and died there in 1886. She lived most of her life in seclusion and wrote nearly 1,800 poems-only a handful of which were published during her lifetime.

  13. The Life of Emily Dickinson

    Biography Winner of the National Book Award, this massively detailed biography throws a light into the study of the brilliant poet. How did Emily Dickinson, from the small window over her desk, come to see a life that included the horror, exaltation and humor that...

  14. My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close

    First Stanza. 'My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close' by Emily Dickinson uses heartbreak as a metaphor for death. The title of the poem (and the first line) is a paradox she attributes two different meanings to the word close. Here, she is using the term "close" to represent both heartbreak and death at the same time.

  15. A Short Analysis of Emily Dickinson's 'My life closed twice before its

    A summary of a classic Dickinson poem by Dr Oliver Tearle 'My life closed twice before its close' is one of Emily Dickinson's finest short poems. In just two quatrains, Dickinson ponders immortality and the concept of an afterlife by posing a first line which doubles up as a riddle. How can one's life close…

  16. My Life had stood

    "My Life had stood a Loaded Gun" is a poem by the 19th-century poet Emily Dickinson. The poem contains one of Dickinson's most iconic images as its first line (and also as its title—because Dickinson didn't title her poems, they are often referred to by their first lines).

  17. My Life had stood

    Summary of My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun 'My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun' by Emily Dickinson describes the sleeping power of a woman who is being wielded by a Master in a male-dominated world. Stanzas 1-3. The poem begins with the speaker stating that her life has existed up as a "Loaded Gun" in a corner.

  18. Emily Dickinson's Love Life

    "Wild nights - Wild nights! Were I with thee Wild nights should be Our luxury!" - From Fr269 E mily Dickinson never married, but because her canon includes magnificent love poems, questions concerning her love life have intrigued readers since her first publication in the 1890s.

  19. A Bird came down the Walk Summary & Analysis

    In "A Bird, came down the Walk," a speaker's seemingly everyday encounter with a bird leads to thoughts about the frightening side of nature—as well as nature's beauty. Under this speaker's watchful eye, the bird is at once a merciless predator, an anxious and vulnerable animal, and a lovely spark of life. Like many of Emily Dickinson's poems ...

  20. Because I could not stop for Death

    Resources Everything you need for every book you read. "Sooo much more helpful than SparkNotes. The way the content is organized and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive." Get LitCharts A + "Because I could not stop for death" is one of Emily Dickinson's most celebrated poems and was composed around 1863.

  21. Emily Dickinson Summary

    Cynthia Griffin Wolff's 1988 book Emily Dickinson is a literary biography detailing the relationship between Dickinson's life and her poetry. Wolff offers fascinating interpretations of the poems as well as the times in which they were created, linking the poet to the influences of the world around her.

  22. 'Emily Dickinson Face to Face' Review: Metrical Memories

    On Sunday mornings, Martha Dickinson did not go to church with her parents. Instead, "by some divine law of the holy day," she and her siblings were left under the care of their beloved Aunt ...

  23. ‎A Verse Reaction on Apple Podcasts

    A Verse Reaction is a poetry podcast with Dr. Ann Beebe, Professor of English at The University of Texas at Tyler. Series One includes episodes on the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Anne Bradstreet, Phillis Wheatley, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Robert Lowell, Lucille Clifton, and Mary Oliver. Episode…

  24. I heard a Fly buzz

    Get LitCharts A +. "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" was written by the American poet Emily Dickinson in 1862, but, as with most Dickinson poems, it was not published during her lifetime. It has since become one of her most famous and one of her most ambiguous poems, talking about the moment of death from the perspective of a person who is ...

  25. What to watch next if you loved 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story'

    Summary: Hailee Steinfeld plays the real-life American poet Emily Dickinson in this coming-of-age period drama. Emily dreams of becoming the world's greatest poet, but her family regards her as a ...

  26. Baftas 2024: the complete list of winners

    Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple Claire Foy, All of Us Strangers Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest Rosamund Pike, Saltburn Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers ...