Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 10, 1830. She was the middle of three children and was considered well-liked and attractive. For some reason, she cut herself off from society in her late-twenties. She dressed only in white and rarely left her home. Emily was a prolific writer of poetry but less than ten of her poems were published in her lifetime. Her sister, Lavina, found a drawer full of Emily's poems after her death in 1886. Lavinia published a book of Emily's poems in 1890 and now she is considered one of America's best loved poets.

We have learned that Emily didn't give titles to her poems and also at times employed a technique called "slant rhyme". This means that the last letters of two words might sound the same but the vowel sound is different so the words don't quite rhyme but they mostly do (thing, sang) . Another example would be the vowels are the same but the ending consonant is different (dark, heart).

We have been reading through a book of Emily's poems as well as some fictionalized children's books about Emily's life. Here are some of the books that we have read as well as a few of our favorite poems:

 The Mouse of Amherst 

A mouse named Emmaline moves into the Dickinson home and trades poems back and forth with Emily.

 Emily and Carlo

This book tells the story of Emily's beloved pet dog, Carlo.

 Letters to the World

A collection of several of Emily poems

My Uncle Emily

A story about Emily Dickinson told through the eyes of her nephew, Gilbert.

 And a few poems: 

I started Early – Took my Dog –

And visited the Sea –

The Mermaids in the Basement

Came out to look at me –

And Frigates – in the Upper Floor

Extended Hempen Hands –

Presuming Me to be a Mouse –

Aground – opon the Sands –

But no Man moved Me – till the Tide

Went past my simple Shoe –

And past my Apron – and my Belt

And past my Boddice – too –

And made as He would eat me up –

As wholly as a Dew

Opon a Dandelion's Sleeve –

And then – I started – too –

And He – He followed – close behind –

I felt His Silver Heel

Opon my Ancle – Then My Shoes

Would overflow with Pearl –

Until We met the Solid Town –

No One He seemed to know –

And bowing – with a Mighty look –

At me – The Sea withdrew –

Another poem:

I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us--don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!

Here's a link for a madlib of Emily's Nobody poem.

And another: 

Tell all the Truth but tell it slant --
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise

As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind --

     

Excerpts of other poems we have like but are mentioned elsewhere in our blog...

-Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul....

-There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away....

-I dwell in possibility, a fairer house than prose....