3.6 Emily Dickinson

Notes

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) lived mostly in Amherst, Massachusetts. She wrote nearly 1,800 poems, but only a handful were published during her life. Her work appeared in 1890 after her death.

• Her poems are short and compressed, often built from the hymn-like pattern of common meter (alternating four- and three-beat lines).
• She uses dashes, unusual capital letters and slant rhyme (near rhyme, such as "gain" and "men").
• Topics: death, immortality, nature, the self and doubt.
• "Because I could not stop for Death -- / He kindly stopped for me --" personifies death as a polite carriage driver.
• Worked example: "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" uses a playful tone to question fame and public life.