Emily Dickinson

Children's Literature - Carolyn Mott Ford

This biography seeks to pierce the mystery surrounding the life of the reclusive poet whose first volume of poetry was published four years after her death. Emily Dickinson's life is one of contrasts. She apparently enjoyed a normal social life as a schoolgirl, but in later years would seldom leave her home. She rebelled against the formalized religion of her parents, writing, "Some keep the Sabbath going to Church/I keep it, staying at Home/With a Bobolink for a Chorister/And an Orchard, for a Dome." Yet in many ways she was a dutiful daughter, who never married, never had her own household. She was passionate, yet distant and appeared to bestow her romantic feelings upon unattainable subjects such as married men. Today she would probably be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and perhaps agoraphobia, but at the time doctors labeled it "female nerves." Her seclusion contributed to her outstanding and wondrous poetic output. She was an avid letter writer and often included poems in her letters. Her innovative poetry was occasionally published in magazines during her lifetime, but it was not until after her death that a treasure trove of her writing was discovered in a chest.

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-A well-written, easy-to-read overview of Dickinson's life and work, perfect for reports or just a little literary browsing. Organized chronologically, and divided into nine brief chapters, each of which is dramatically illustrated with good-quality photos and reproductions of Dickinson, her home, her friends and relatives, the events of the reclusive poet's almost eventless life are quickly related. The book contains a selection of well-chosen quotes from Dickinson to introduce the flavor of her writing and to help students get past some of the grammatical oddities of the poems. Concluding with a two-page bibliography, a short list of sources, and an index, this slim book provides students with a near-perfect introductory letter to the world's most famous nobody.-Herman Sutter, Saint Pius X High School, Houston, TX