Poetic Lives: Dickinson

by Rebecca Swift

By the end of her life, Emily Dickinson lived in virtual isolation in her family’s home, refusing any contact with strangers. Though she attracted local renown as a recluse, her reputation as one of America’s finest and most original poets was established only posthumously; her works, numbering nearly two thousand, were virtually all unpublished at the time of her death. Displayed here is an insightful and comprehensive outline of all her most famous works as well as the real life events that inspired her. This in-depth examination is then coupled with rich, extensive, and intimate correspondences with figures who exerted enormous influence on the poet—despite, in some cases, never meeting her—all of which were recovered after her death, to form a compete, authoritative account of one of America’s most beloved poets.

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2011

Reviews

[Ivy-Mabel Fling · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting introduction but I would need more critical comment to understand the poems!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-written piece of scholarship that fits in well with other works of Dickinson's life. Speculation surrounding Dickinson's work will never end, and this book fits in well with the rest of it.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to the life of Emily Dickinson.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend gave me "Writing in Time: Emily Dickinson's Master Hours" along with this book on Dickinson's life. Poetic Lives: Dickinson is one of series of short, authoritative biographies of the world's best-known poets. I ended up enjoying Poetic Lives much more than the Master Hours which is a detailed examination of the three letters Dickinson wrote to an unidentified person. Whereas Master Hours seems aimed at the serious Dickinson scholar which I am not, Poetic Lives is a concise biography which examines the poems alongside events in Dickinson's life. It made me want to visit her home in Amherst and spend more time with the poems -- and to think more about what a strange life she led and whether great art is always a product of great suffering.

[Ron Palmer]

I definitely did NOT judge this book based on its dreadful cover -- an atrocious drawing that looks NOTHING like the real Emily Dickinson (who was a petite red-headed sweetheart, not some long-necked misshapen brunette, as this cartoon depicts!). I was looking for a quick read with lots of poetic excerpts. Don't let me down, Rebecca!

[Michael Eales · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful look at this fascinating writer. A recommended read even if you are not a particular fan of Dickinson' s work.