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Biography of Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson was born December 10th, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts. Her father was well known as he was a lawyer, treasurer of Amherst College and as well as served in the United States Congress.

Dickinson was educated at Amherst Academy (1834-1847) until she was later admitted to Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in 1847 where she stayed till 1848. Around 1850 she began writing poetry in a fairly conventional style, but after ten years she began her own signature style.

After the Civil War, Dickinson secluded herself inside a room only to contact others by mail. On the rare occasions Dickinson did have visitors, she dressed only in white. Her seclusion however did not limit her knowledge of fellow writers such as John Keats and Sir Thomas Brown.

Nor did it confine her from having a disappointing love affair with Reverend Charles Wadsworth, whom she often contacted or Samuel Bowles, the editor of the Springfield Republican, whom she addressed many poems.

Emily Dickinson died May 15th, 1886 from Bright's Disease. Her death brought fame as her sister co-edited three volumes of poems from 1891-1896. However, the complete and accurate text of all Dickinson's poems was not seen until 1955 when Thomas H. Johnson took the honor of publishing her works.

Many believe Dickinson's seclusion of the outside world helped her understand life by backing away from it. The quarantine helped her deduce human existence and write about such intimate experiences.

Poems by Emily Dickinson