Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson Jenny MaguireEnglish - The AmericasPoetry Essay3/5/2002Emily DickinsonRenowned as one of the most significant poets in American literature, Emily Dickinson adds a completely distinctive dimension to Modernist poetry. Her lyrical appeal can be attributed to her aphoristic and abrupt style. Each and every phrase of her poems constitutes a direct representation of her unique personality or mood. This expression is developed through the short measure structure within all of her poems, in which the effect of this brevity is amplified by her verbal perniciousness. Almost all of her poetry consists of a deceivingly simple structure: four line stanzas; iambic meter, with every other line being tetrameter or trimeter; and ABCB rhyme scheme; a careful dispersion of dashes; and slant rhyme. Random puns, riddles, and imagery also garnish the infamously basic form of Dickinson's poems. Throughout her poetry, the reader may begin to notice several predominate themes.Photo of the Dickinson Homestea d taken in October ...On December 10, 1830 Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born in Amherst Massachusetts. She was the second child of Edward and Emily Norcross Dickinson; Emily had an older brother William Austin Dickinson and a younger sister Lavinia Norcross Dickinson. Dickinson's Mother was not a significant presence in her life, as she appeared to have been rather emotionally inaccessible. However, her father headed the quiet, reserved household. Donoghue states Edward Dickinson "was a dedicated Whig, and a resolute defender of temperance. As a parent, he was somewhat harsh, or at best remote" (6). Because of her parent's religious background, Dickinson's parents raised her to be a good Christian woman who would one day have a family of her own. In fact, her father sheltered her from books he viewed as harmful to her mind and religious faith. However, Dickinson did not conform to the society in which she was raised.