Emily Dickinson Was Born in Amherst, Massachusetts,

Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1830. She attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, but returned home after one year. She continued to live in her family home with her younger sister, mother and father. Her brother and his wife lived next door. Dickinson rarely left her house or received visitors. Those whom she did associate with, however, had a powerful affect on her poetry.

It is speculated that the two most influential people in her life were Reverend Charles Wadsworth, whom she met on a trip to Philadelphia, and her sister-in-law, Susan. In 1860, Wadsworth left for the West Coast, causing Dickinson terrible grief. Afterward, she lived in isolation from the rest of the world. Despite this, she enthusiastically continued correspondences and avidly remained au currant with popular published works.

One of the correspondences she maintained was with her sister-in-law Susan. Throughout her works, Dickinson wrote many love poems to her. It is widely accepted that they had a love affair which spanned many years. After her death in Amherst in 1886, Dickinson's brother and his mistress tried to destroy all evidence of this relationship.

She admired female poets such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, George Eliot, and Helen Hunt Jackson. Her work also seems to be influenced by her Puritanical upbringing. Dickinson was prolific to say the least; however, she was not recognized for her work during her lifetime. Her work was published in 1890, four years after her death.

Dickinson's poetry is a reflection of her pain, loneliness, desire, her struggle with religion and society, and love. Her poems are like encapsulated moments of life and inspiration given to the reader.

Dickinson's meter is irregular, but rhythmic. She also utilizes excellent word choice abilities. The language she uses is far from subtle. Dickinson uses words that cut into the reader. She is able to convey complex emotions and situations with few words at all. Her disregard for grammar rules and typical flowery verse makes her poems more lifelike.

Dickinson's poem number 14 compares the differences between her relationship with her younger sister and her relationship with her sister-in-law. This poem raises the issue of her highly speculated romantic relationship with Susan Gilbert Dickinson. It is considered a popular topic of feminists and those who believe her family worked to cover up it up.

The poem suggests that Dickinson loves Susan, but feels very differently toward her. The fifth stanza, "And still her hum, The years among, Deceives the butterfly," suggests that Susan might be deceiving someone, perhaps her husband. Poem number 14 conveys the emotions of a close and secret relationship.

Poem number 249 compares the lust of lovers to stormy nights. The rhythm of the poem is storm like in itself. Dickinson juxtaposes lovers' moorings with that of a ship and the sea.

The personification of nature enhances the imagery.

This poem conveys passion, desire, and lust. As a whole, it suggests that should she be with the person mentioned only as "thee," they would have nights full of passion, and that these nights should be a "luxury."

The third stanza suggests that holding feelings back is "futile," that all feelings released or known.

Dickinson's poem number 280 describes a funeral that takes place inside the author's mind. She describes the break down of reality as the funeral continues. The end is abrupt, suggesting that the author, teetering on the edge of reality, loses their grip, or ceases to exist.

The rhythm of the poem is consistent, but not rushed. The words used convey a sense of losing ones mind and how easy it might seem to do so. It also suggests a possible outcome of death and the feeling of slipping away into nothingness.

This poem paints a picture of what it might feel like when we die, as we are present for our own funerals. It questions issues such as the belief in God and the belief in our constructed reality. The questioning of such issues is a theme present through her works.

Considered one of the great writers of early America, her work is often compared to that of Walt Whitman. Both Whitman and Dickinson deny social customs and tradition. Their poetic voices are quite similar, and their work is illustrated with rich detail. Both writers experimented with elements of style in order to discover their unique voices.

However, Dickinson, unlike Whitman, used short phrasing. Whitman's work is long, drawn out, and overflowing with detail. Her work is more thick, tense, and suggestive, whereas Whitman's work is commemorative in tone.