Emily Dickinson

Biography

Place of birth

Date of birth

• Amherst, MA

• December 10, 1830

Date of death

• Amherst, MAPlace of death

• May 15, 1886

Burial location • West Cemetery, Triangle St., Amherst, MA

Interesting facts about childhood

• Brilliant, determined student• Had a brother, Austin, and sister, Lavinia• Enjoyed reading clubs, outdoor activities and

social events• Attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary

for two years

Place(s) where this author lived. Include dates and explain how each

place influenced them. • Amherst, MA – was a recluse• Traveled once to Philadelphia and

Washington, DC.

How did this author become inspired to write?

•Some of her favorite topics were: •Love•Nature•Friendship•Death•Immortality

Where applicable, explain any obstacles this writer faced

•She couldn’t get published because her poems

–didn’t look like they were “supposed” to–didn’t rhyme–had weird figures of speech–had radical ideas

How successful was this author during his/her lifetime?

• Rejected by publishers• Only seven poems published during her

lifetime

If the author wasn’t successful or popular at the time of their death,

explain how and why they are still well known today

• Poems published in booklets in 1890 – critical & financial success – demand for more

• Unaltered, complete poems published in 1955; her influence finally acknowledged

Why is this author considered influential?

•Considered one of the founders of Modern American poetry

Identify 3-5 characteristics of this author and give specific examples

• Reclusive – almost never left home after 1874

• Prolific – wrote 1,775 completed poems

• Creative – striking imagery & unique style

The Homestead, Amherst, MA http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/differences/v010/10.3fuss_fig01a.html