6 Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson was born December 10, 1830 in Amherst Massachusetts. Dickinson attended Amherst Academy (founded by her paternal grandfather) for seven years and Mount Holyoke Female Seminary for a year until she dropped out of school to live a recluse life on the family homestead. Though the exact reasons for Dickinson’s departure from school are unknown, theories suggest her fragile emotional state played a role in the decision. Scholars believe that Dickinson may have suffered from agoraphobia, depression, and/or anxiety. Inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Dickinson began writing as a teenager, however she never attempted to publish any of her works. Dickinson’s closest friend and advisor was a woman named Susan Gilbert, who many scholars believe was an amorous interest of Emily’s. Despite including religious allusions and elements in her poetry, Dickinson never joined a particular church or denomination which was heavily against the religious norms at the time. Despite enjoying writing, Dickinson never attempted to publish any of her work. Emily’s sister Lavinia, discovered her work and had it published shortly before Dickinson’s death from kidney disease on May 15, 1886. Emily Dickinson became known for her unique writing style and her use of themes such as religion, death, home and family, nature, love, and spirituality.