Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson , (December 10th 1830 - May 15th 1886) was a poetess étatsunienne. Although it was unknown during all its life, Dickinson is regarded today with Walt Whitman as belonging to the poets American founders of the XIXe century. Emily Dickinson has passed major part of its cloistered life in room of house of its parents with Amherst, and, except five poems (three were published anonymously and another without the author being informed of it), its immense work remained new and hidden until after its death.

Social environment and family

Emily Dickinson came from a family for the New England. Its ancestors had arrived at the the United States with the first migratory wave puritan, and the strict Protestant religion which they professed, influenced the work of the artist.

Political lawyers, teachers and civils servant integrated the family tree of Emily: one of its ancestors was secretary of the town hall of Wethersfield, (Connecticut) in 1659; his/her grandfather Samuel Fowler Dickinson was during forty years judges county of Hampton (Massachusetts), secretary of the Town hall, representing with the General Court and senator with the Senate of State.

The father of the poetess, Edward Dickinson, lawyer of the University of Yale, was judge with Amherst, representing with the House of Commons of Massachusetts, senator with the capital of the State and to finish representing for State of Massachusetts to the Congress of Washington. Edward founded the railway line Massachusetts Central Railroad and also (with his/her Samuel father) the Amherst College, intermediate education institution between the school secondary and the University which brought the cultural fame to its unimportant and forgotten village.

The associate of Edward Dickinson in his cabinet was the cousin of Ralph Waldo Emerson which, for this reason, was always related to the village of Amherst and influenced the philosophy and the work of Emily.

The wife of Edward and mother of the poetess was Emily Norcross Dickinson (1804 - 1882), which at the end of its life remained nailed with the bed with the load of his/her daughters.

Emily Dickinson had two brothers. The elder one, William Austin Dickinson (1829 - 1895), generally known for its second first name, Maria with Susan Gilbert, friend of his Emily sister, in 1856 and lived in the house of beside his/her father.

His/her little sister, Lavinia Norcross Dickinson (1833 - 1899), also known like Vinnie , was the “discoverer” of the work of Emily after her death and converts like the first compilatrice and editor of her poetry.

Historical context

Emily Dickinson was born during one time former to the American Civil War, when strong ideological currents and policies shocked in the company of American average-high class.

Even the easiest families missed warm water and bathrooms in the house. The pieces of housework represented an enormous load for the women (even if because of her comfortable economic position, the Dickinson family had an Irish maidservant). So Emily worried para to obtain a good education, constituted an exception in the rural company of the New England of its time. The severe puritan religion was done presents everywhere, and practically the only accepted artistic expression was the music of chorus of the church. The Protestant orthodoxy of 1830 regarded the novels as a “dissipated literature”; the card decks and the dance were prohibited; there did not exist concerts of classical music as well as the theater. Easter and Christmas did not celebrate themselves yet, at least until 1864, date on which the first Episcopal Church with Amherst is established, which introduces these habits. It was also not tolerated the celebration of meetings of woman alones other than the daily newspaper the between neighbors.

Once founded by the grandfather and the father of Emily Amherst College, the union between this one and the church started to train missionaries who started from Amherst to propagate the Protestant ideals in all the most moved back recesses of planet. The occasional return of some of these monks leads to the introduction of new ideas, visions and concepts in the preserving company of the village, which in this manner started has to contact the outside world and was inclined to give up the old habits and beliefs more quickly than in other places of the area.

Extracts

This is my letter to the World

That never wrote to Me -

The simple News that Natural told -

With tender Majesty

Her Message is committed

To Hands I boat see -

For coils Her off - Sweet - countrymen -

Judge tenderly - off Me

I' m nobody! Who are you?

Are you nobody, too?

Then there' even S.A. off custom - gift' T Tel.!

They' D banish custom, you know.

How dreary to Be somebody!

Public How, like has frog

To Tel. your name the livelong day

To year admiring bog!

External bonds

Emily Dickinson - The Supplements Poems
Dickinson Electronic Archives
Emily Dickinson International Society
Selected Poems - Audiobook MP3

Simple: Emily Dickinson Zh-min-nan: Emily Dickinson

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