Emily Dickinson Research Paper

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 10, 1830 to Edward and Emily Dickinson. Edward was an ambitious lawyer, who later served a single term as a representative in the U.S. Congress. He prided himself in civic service, and presented himself as a model citizen acting as the treasurer of Amherst College, and chairman of the annual Cattle Show. Little is known of her mother, although she was described to be quiet and passive towards her husband, letters reveal that she was dedicated to her studies, particularly science. Dickinson had a brother, William Austin, who was a year and a half her elder, and a younger sister, Lavinia, who was born in 1833. The children all attended Amherst Academy, the school which

It was a Christian school and Dickinson proved to be a rebel, as she did not identify as a particularly religious person. She only stayed at the school for one year. Many speculate it was due to homesickness, her father’s dominant personality, or the fact she had already studied most of the material at Amherst. This was the end of her formal education, which Dickinson did not enjoy. Since she was unmarried and living at home, she was expected to do domestic work, which she despised. There were also many visits to the Dickinson family home each day due to her father’s societal position, which she found irritating and unnecessary. Instead she would tend to the garden and bake bread, limiting the amount of visits she had, and any inside chores. During this time, Dickinson became close with Austin through letters advising him of his career, and everyday

In 1856, Austin married Susan Gilbert, who soon became a close friend of Dickinson. From this point until about 1868 is known as Dickinson’s “Writing Period,” as she began writing and compiling numerous letters and poems into small booklets which she called “fascicles.” She published a few of her works, but they did not gain popularity and went otherwise unnoticed. Her personal life changed significantly during this period, which also greatly influenced her poems. Austin and Susan had children, her mother became increasingly ill, and she experienced many issues with various lovers in her life. By 1864 she had developed a painful eye condition, now known as iritis, and had to visit Cambridge for long stretches of time to receive