Biography Of An Enigmatic Woman: The Poet Emily Dickinson

The poet Emily Dickinson is considered one of the greatest poets of all time. The fact that she only published six successful poems during her own lifetime is interesting, but on the other hand she left a large amount of material for posterity.

She was an enigmatic woman, to such an extent that scientists still do not understand many aspects of her life, which is the subject of all kinds of speculation.

One of these mysteries is that she wrote over 300 passionate love poems, to someone. No one knows who this great love was, especially considering she never had a romantic partner. In fact, Emily Dickinson died single, and probably a virgin.

In addition, it is unclear whether any of her habits were expressions of eccentricity, or whether she suffered from a more serious emotional problem. It is obvious, however, that she was an extraordinary poet, who is now compared to other greats such as Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman.

Emily Dickinson had a happy childhood

Emily Dickinson was born into a very privileged family in New England. Her family had strong Protestant and Puritan traditions, which profoundly affected her life and poetry. But she never completely defined her style. At times, she seemed like a classic mystic. Other times she seemed almost pagan.

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. Her father, like other family members, was an important authority figure.

Her family opened one of the first schools for girls. It was rare at a time when girls rarely received a formal education.

The future poetess went to primary school there and learned basic science. She also took piano lessons from her aunt and other private classes. Among other things, she learned gardening, something she loved until her last day in life. She was also interested in astronomy.

A strange young woman

When she finished her undergraduate education, Emily Dickinson left home to study at a theological seminary for young people. She studied academically, but her main goal was to train religious missionaries.

The teachers suggested that she engage in this activity, but after much deliberation, she finally decided not to do it. Thus, she graduated as an “unconverted”.

In fact, it turned out that she left the seminary due to health problems. Researchers know that she was deeply interested in poetry and loved inventing stories for her classmates from a very young age. When she left the seminary, she returned to her parents and stayed there for the rest of her life.

Two men in particular piqued her interest. One was Benjamin Franklin Newton, a witty and intelligent man, who came into her life by recommending reading materials and flattering her intelligence. But this potential suitor had tuberculosis, and perhaps for this reason he was kept away from her. He died shortly after, causing her great pain.

The other man was Charles Wadsworth, a pastor who was also a pianist. He was married and probably kept his distance from her to avoid “falling into temptation.” However, this is not fully confirmed. She admired him deeply, but he also died.

Eccentricities and genius of the poet Emily Dickinson

Many cinemas speculate that her love poems were dedicated to these men. A more plausible theory, however, is that her object of this affection was Susan Gilbert. She was her childhood friend and also the wife of her brother. This may explain why so much secrecy surrounds her relationships and affections.

The poet Emily Dickinson not only refused to publish her works but even refused to share them with those closest to her. As a result, only six of her 1,800 poems were published while she was still alive.

She spent the last 15 years of her life separated from the outside world. First in his home and then in his room. She also adopted the habit of dressing only in white.

During this time she only went out to look after the garden, and spent the rest of the day indoors. She died of kidney problems on May 15, 1886.

Her younger sister and loyal admirer, Vinnie, found 40 volumes of poetry in hardcover notebooks that Emily had hidden. Vinnie is the one who shared this extraordinary work with the outside world.