Emily Dickinson :: essays research papers

Emily Dickinson was born on December 10,1830 in Amherst Massachusetts. She had ayounger sister named Lavina and an olderbrother named Austin. Her mother EmilyNorcross Dickinson, was largely dependenton her family and was seen by Emily as apoor mother. Her father was lawyer,Congressman, and the Treasurer for AmherstCollege. Unlike her mother, Emily loved andadmired her father. Since the family was notemotional, they lived a quiet secure life. Theyrarely overlap their problems with one anotherso Emily had plenty of privacy for writing. During her childhood, Emily and her family assureed The First Congregational Church ona regular basis. Emily did not like personnel casualty tochurch because she didnt think of herself asbeing very religious. She refused to believethat Heaven was a better place than Earthand eventually rebelled from the church.Emily saw herself as a woman who had herown way of thinking, a way of thinkingshaped neither by the church or society. By the time she was twel ve, her family movedto a house on Pleasant Street where theylived from 1840 to 1855. Emily was alreadywriting letters, but composed most of herpoetry in this home. Emily only left home toattend Mount Holyoke Female Seminary fortwo semesters. Though her stay there was brief, sheimpressed her teachers with her courage anddirectness. They felt her writing wassensational. At the age of twenty-one, Emily and her familymoved to the Dickinson Homestead on MainStreet. This move proved to be very difficultfor Emily. This was difficult for Emily becauseshe became very attached to her old house,which shaped her writing and personality forfifteen years. They like a shot lived next door to herbrother Austin and his wife Susan and theirdaughter Martha. Emily and Susan becameso close that many people believe they mayhave been lovers. A narration perpetuated by thefact that Emily was known to have writtenmany love letters and poems to Susan.Martha attempted to protect both of theirimages and supp ress the rumors. It becamecommon knowledge that Emily had near typeof very strong feelings for Susan. At the age of thirty-one Emily sent some ofher poems to a publisher, Thomas Higginson,from whom she got a very good response anda strong friendship developed. He acted asher mentor but she never seemed to havetaken any of his advice. It became evidentthat she didnt like the idea of having herworks published, she make 40 packets ofabout twenty poems apiece from 814 poems.She placed these in a box along with 333other poems. Emily died on May 5, 1886 at the age of 56.