Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830 in Amherst Massachusetts. She had
a younger sister named Lavina and an older brother named Austin. Her mother
Emily Norcross Dickinson, was largely dependent on her family and was seen by
Emily as a bad mother. Her father was lawyer, Congressman, and the Treasurer for
Amherst College. Emily’s mother and father didn’t get along very well, but
unlike her mother Emily loved and admired her father. Emily’s family lived a
quiet secure life. They rarely shared their problems with one another so Emily
had plenty of privacy for writing. During her childhood, Emily and her family
attended The First Congregational Church on every Sunday. Emily did not like
going to church because she didn't think of herself as being very religious. She
refused to believe that Heaven was a better place than Earth and eventually
rebelled from the church. Emily saw herself as a woman who had her own way of
thinking, a way of thinking shaped neither by the church or society. By the time
she was twelve, her family moved to a house on Pleasant Street where they lived
from 1840 to 1855. Emily was already writing letters, but composed most of her
poetry in this home. Emily only left home to attend Mount Holyoke Female
Seminary for two semesters. She impressed her teachers with her “courage and
directness” in her poetry. They felt her writing was very good. At the age of
twenty-one, Emily and her family moved to the “Dickinson Homestead” on Main
Street. This move was very difficult for Emily. This was difficult for Emily
because she became very attached to her old house. They now lived next door to
her brother Austin and his wife Susan and their daughter Martha. Emily and Susan
became so close that many people believe they may have been lovers. Emily was
known to have written many love letters and poems to Susan. Martha attempted to
protect both of their images and tell everyone the rumors weren’t true. It
became common knowledge that Emily had some type of very strong feelings for
Susan. The following is one of the letters that Emily wrote to Susan: “It's a
sorrowful morning Susie--the wind blows and it rains; "into each life some
rain must fall," and I hardly know which falls fastest, the rain without,
or within--Oh Susie, I would nestle close to your warm heart, and never hear the
wind blow, or the storm beat, again. Is there any room there for me, darling,
and will you "love me more if ever you come home"?--it is enough, dear
Susie, I know I shall be satisfied. But what can I do towards you? dearer you
cannot be, for I love you so already, that it almost breaks my heart--perhaps I
can love you anew, every day of my life, every morning and evening--Oh if you
will let me, how happy I shall be! The precious billet, Susie, I am wearing the
paper out, reading it over and o'er, but the dear thoughts cant wear out if they
try, Thanks to Our Father, Susie! Vinnie and I talked of you all last evening
long, and went to sleep mourning for you, and pretty soon I waked up saying
"Precious treasure, thou art mine," and there you were all right, my
Susie, and I hardly dared to sleep lest someone steal you away. Never mind the
letter, Susie; you have so much to do; just write me every week one line, and
let it be, "Emily, I love you," and I will be satisfied! Your own,
Emily” http://www.sappho.com/poetry/historical/e_*censored*in.html At the age
of thirty-one Emily sent some of her poems to a publisher, Thomas Higginson, who
liked her poetry a lot. A strong friendship developed. He gave her a lot of
advice, but she never seemed to use any of it. It became evident that she didn't
like the idea of having her works published, she made 40 packets of about twenty
poems apiece from 814 poems. She placed these in a box along with close to 300
other poems. Emily died on May 5, 1886 at the age of 56. She had planned her own
funeral. It was held at the mansion on Main Street and ended at the family plot
near the house on Pleasant Street. At her request, her casket was covered with
violets and pine boughs, while she herself was dressed in a new white gown and
had a strand of violets placed about her neck. Before she died, Emily left
specific instructions for her sister and a housemaid, Maggie to destroy all the
letters she had received and saved. The box of packets and poems was found with
these letters, but Emily had not said anything about destroying them. Her sister
Lavina was determined to have these published, but Susan kept them for two years
before they were released to Higginson. In 1890 and 1891, some of the poems were
published. They received a great response, but no more were released until 1955,
when the rest of her poems were published. Though she was not religious it is
said that many of her poems do reflect religious views. She wrote many of her
poems on pain, death, and suffering, although a lot were also written about
love, lust, and romance. A lot of people see her as a hermit who spent much of
her life writing and living by herself. She chose her words for her poems in a
way that allows the reader to choose the meaning of the poem to them and relate
it to their life. She wrote nearly eighteen hundred poems, most staying away
from rhyme and punctuation. Emily’s poems did not have titles because she
never wanted them to be published. Many of her poems are a little hard to
interpret, but after reading this hopefully you will have a little bit better
understanding of her life.

BibliographyAmerican Authors pgs. 25-48. “Emily Elizabeth Dickinson,” Microsoft®
Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © Microsoft Corporation. Lebita, Edzen. “Emily
Dickinson, a few selected poems” February 20th,2000 http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Lights/4192/dickinson.html
President and fellows of Harvard College, “Virtual Emily” February 20th,
2000 http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~emilypg/index1.html http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~emilypg/1813.html
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http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~emilypg/1955.html http://www.sappho.com/poetry/historical/e_dickin.html