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Emily Dickinson
From the Great Poets series--exquisite small-format collections of classic poetry enhanced by full-color reproductions of period art, and readable, scholarly introductions. 12 full-color illustrations.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
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176 people want to read
About the author
Emily Dickinson
1,555 books6,842 followersEmily Dickinson was an American poet who, despite the fact that less than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime, is widely considered one of the most original and influential poets of the 19th century.
Dickinson was born to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. After she studied at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she spent a short time at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's house in Amherst. Thought of as an eccentric by the locals, she became known for her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even leave her room. Most of her friendships were therefore carried out by correspondence.
Although Dickinson was a prolific private poet, fewer than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime.The work that was published during her lifetime was usually altered significantly by the publishers to fit the conventional poetic rules of the time. Dickinson's poems are unique for the era in which she wrote; they contain short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation.Many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality, two recurring topics in letters to her friends.
Although most of her acquaintances were probably aware of Dickinson's writing, it was not until after her death in 1886—when Lavinia, Emily's younger sister, discovered her cache of poems—that the breadth of Dickinson's work became apparent. Her first collection of poetry was published in 1890 by personal acquaintances Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd, both of whom heavily edited the content.
A complete and mostly unaltered collection of her poetry became available for the first time in 1955 when The Poems of Emily Dickinson was published by scholar Thomas H. Johnson. Despite unfavorable reviews and skepticism of her literary prowess during the late 19th and early 20th century, critics now consider Dickinson to be a major American poet.
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/emily-di...
Dickinson was born to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. After she studied at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she spent a short time at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's house in Amherst. Thought of as an eccentric by the locals, she became known for her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even leave her room. Most of her friendships were therefore carried out by correspondence.
Although Dickinson was a prolific private poet, fewer than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime.The work that was published during her lifetime was usually altered significantly by the publishers to fit the conventional poetic rules of the time. Dickinson's poems are unique for the era in which she wrote; they contain short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation.Many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality, two recurring topics in letters to her friends.
Although most of her acquaintances were probably aware of Dickinson's writing, it was not until after her death in 1886—when Lavinia, Emily's younger sister, discovered her cache of poems—that the breadth of Dickinson's work became apparent. Her first collection of poetry was published in 1890 by personal acquaintances Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd, both of whom heavily edited the content.
A complete and mostly unaltered collection of her poetry became available for the first time in 1955 when The Poems of Emily Dickinson was published by scholar Thomas H. Johnson. Despite unfavorable reviews and skepticism of her literary prowess during the late 19th and early 20th century, critics now consider Dickinson to be a major American poet.
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/emily-di...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 9, 2012
"Had I not seen the sun
I could have borne the shade;
But light a newer wilderness
My wilderness has made"
I loved this verse. It spoke of that sadness and loss and yearning which is at the base of so much of all of our struggles. I had not read much Dickinson before I picked up this small volume, containing 173 of her poems, and though I would not say that I was totally blown away by her, there is a simple beauty about the work which is really intriguing.
John Malcolm Brinnin selected the poems and gave some simple notes. He also wrote an introduction which was an interesting study of Dickinson's life and work for a total novice like me but I would take issue with one thing he said. He trumpets victoriously;
"Her contemporaries, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Christina Rossetti, left no body of work to match hers at its greatest "
Total balls Mr Brinnin. Try reading the sonnets from the Portrugese or Aurora Leigh. I defy any of the poems in this volume to come close to the sublime verse of Barrett Browning in the best of these.
I could have borne the shade;
But light a newer wilderness
My wilderness has made"
I loved this verse. It spoke of that sadness and loss and yearning which is at the base of so much of all of our struggles. I had not read much Dickinson before I picked up this small volume, containing 173 of her poems, and though I would not say that I was totally blown away by her, there is a simple beauty about the work which is really intriguing.
John Malcolm Brinnin selected the poems and gave some simple notes. He also wrote an introduction which was an interesting study of Dickinson's life and work for a total novice like me but I would take issue with one thing he said. He trumpets victoriously;
"Her contemporaries, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Christina Rossetti, left no body of work to match hers at its greatest "
Total balls Mr Brinnin. Try reading the sonnets from the Portrugese or Aurora Leigh. I defy any of the poems in this volume to come close to the sublime verse of Barrett Browning in the best of these.
July 3, 2021
Wish it was 100 pages longer, the illustrations matched the poems so well.
December 12, 2024
I love Emily Dickenson so much...
May 11, 2016
The flesh surrendered, cancelled,
The bodiless begun;
Two worlds, like audiences, disperse
And leave the soul alone.
The bodiless begun;
Two worlds, like audiences, disperse
And leave the soul alone.
December 31, 2019
Emily Dickinson is synonymous with poetry to most people and is regarded as one of the most influential and important American poets. This is a short collection showcasing some notable works and including some artworks evoking the words written and the period in which they were written it.
To be honest, it's nice but I can't say it's more than that to me. It's carefully crafted, with meter, rhythm, rhyme schemes, and other poetic devices, but for me it packs the punch of the type of poetry that moves me. It's also the type of book that to me might explain why people don't give poetry much of a chance. I'm not saying it's bad or anything, but it is the cliché of what poetry is supposed to be. Hidden meanings, symbolism, and a strong focus on form.
It's one type of poetry, it's a classic, and it's valid, though this not the only thing that poetry is.
To be honest, it's nice but I can't say it's more than that to me. It's carefully crafted, with meter, rhythm, rhyme schemes, and other poetic devices, but for me it packs the punch of the type of poetry that moves me. It's also the type of book that to me might explain why people don't give poetry much of a chance. I'm not saying it's bad or anything, but it is the cliché of what poetry is supposed to be. Hidden meanings, symbolism, and a strong focus on form.
It's one type of poetry, it's a classic, and it's valid, though this not the only thing that poetry is.
February 1, 2021
Borrowed this from my Mum and read in one sitting! Beautiful collection of some of Emily Dickinson's most famous poetry, accompanied by simple, striking watercolours.
April 8, 2025
i think im a little too stupid for her
March 24, 2024
My appreciation for Emily Dickinson’s poetry ran so my love for Plath’s could fly.
May 29, 2023
Emily Dickinson gives me a lot of trouble. Too much thinking is required of me.
December 5, 2025
I get her
April 20, 2025
it's emily dickinson i mean i had a great time
June 13, 2022
Great poetry. I love her use of language. Not sure when I read this.
July 12, 2025
⭐️3.5⭐️ A very cute little book. A lot of the poems didn’t really make sense to me but some of them I really enjoyed. I also found the illustrations beautiful.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
“Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.”
“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.”
“I felt a funeral in my brain,
And mourners, to and fro,
Kept treading, treading, till it seemed
That sense was breaking through.
And when they all were seated,
A service like a drum
Kept beating, beating, till I thought
My mind was going numb.
And then I heard them lift a box,
And creak across my soul
With those same boots of lead, again.
Then space began to toll
As all the heavens were a bell,
And being but an ear,
And I and silence some strange race,
Wrecked, solitary, here.”
“I died for beauty, but was scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was lain
In an adjoining room.
He questioned softly why I failed?
'For beauty,' I replied.
'And I for truth, - the two are one;
We brethren, are,' he said.
And so, as kinsmen, met a night,
We talked between the rooms,
Until the moss had reached our lips,
And covered up our names.”
“The heart asks pleasure first,
And then, excuse from pain;
And then, those little anodynes
That deaden suffering;”
“If you were coming in the fall,
I'd brush the summer by
With half a smile and half a spurn,
As housewives do a fly.
If I could see you in a year,
I'd wind the months in balls,
And put them each in separate drawers,
Until their time befalls.
If only centuries delayed,
I'd count them on my hand,
Subtracting till my fingers dropped
Into Van Diemen's land.
If certain, when this life was out,
That yours and mine, should be,
I'd toss it yonder, like a rind,
And taste eternity.
But now, uncertain of the length
Of time's uncertain wing,
It goads me, like the goblin bee,
That will not state its sting.”
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
“Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.”
“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.”
“I felt a funeral in my brain,
And mourners, to and fro,
Kept treading, treading, till it seemed
That sense was breaking through.
And when they all were seated,
A service like a drum
Kept beating, beating, till I thought
My mind was going numb.
And then I heard them lift a box,
And creak across my soul
With those same boots of lead, again.
Then space began to toll
As all the heavens were a bell,
And being but an ear,
And I and silence some strange race,
Wrecked, solitary, here.”
“I died for beauty, but was scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was lain
In an adjoining room.
He questioned softly why I failed?
'For beauty,' I replied.
'And I for truth, - the two are one;
We brethren, are,' he said.
And so, as kinsmen, met a night,
We talked between the rooms,
Until the moss had reached our lips,
And covered up our names.”
“The heart asks pleasure first,
And then, excuse from pain;
And then, those little anodynes
That deaden suffering;”
“If you were coming in the fall,
I'd brush the summer by
With half a smile and half a spurn,
As housewives do a fly.
If I could see you in a year,
I'd wind the months in balls,
And put them each in separate drawers,
Until their time befalls.
If only centuries delayed,
I'd count them on my hand,
Subtracting till my fingers dropped
Into Van Diemen's land.
If certain, when this life was out,
That yours and mine, should be,
I'd toss it yonder, like a rind,
And taste eternity.
But now, uncertain of the length
Of time's uncertain wing,
It goads me, like the goblin bee,
That will not state its sting.”
October 6, 2022
Just lovely! I picked up this 1960 copy of Emily Dickinson’s poetry at Dogwood Books, which originally sold for 35 cents. My boss at the time convinced me to purchase it, and I could not be more glad that I did. The last owner left thought-provoking notes and meaningful reflections that added to the overall experience. I have missed poetry and am so glad for the opportunity to pick it back up!
One of my favorite lines from the last several pages:
That it will never come again
Is what makes life so sweet.
This little book is so well loved! I know I’ll cherish it for years!
One of my favorite lines from the last several pages:
That it will never come again
Is what makes life so sweet.
This little book is so well loved! I know I’ll cherish it for years!
August 12, 2024
helpful as a reference book, but aside from "title divine--is mine!" none of dickinson's poems are particularly exceptional. since this is a posthumously edited and published collection instead of an intentionally crafted book, it's definitely better to read one or a few at a time for the purpose of study or to quote in a greeting card rather read it through in one sitting. and i cut dickinson a lot of slack--there's a reason she only published 10 pieces in her lifetime imo. she never asked to be hailed as a literary icon.
November 2, 2020
Definitely someone to revisit as I embark on this poetry journey. It is indicative to read slowly and plenty of times the work Dickinson produces, I’d argue more so than most poets. When she comes down from her tower of brilliance for common folk like me, she really brings it. She’s probably your favorite poet’s, favorite poet.
May 8, 2023
My favourites
A light exists in spring
After a hundred years
Arcturus is his other name
As imperceptibly as grief
Because I could not stop for death
Before I got my eye out out
I died for beauty, but was scarce
I never saw a moor
It struck me everyday
Split the lark and you’ll find the music
These are the days when birds come back
You cannot make remembrance grow
A light exists in spring
After a hundred years
Arcturus is his other name
As imperceptibly as grief
Because I could not stop for death
Before I got my eye out out
I died for beauty, but was scarce
I never saw a moor
It struck me everyday
Split the lark and you’ll find the music
These are the days when birds come back
You cannot make remembrance grow
July 4, 2025
Je n'ai pas tout a fait compris l'essence de la poésie de Dickinson. Elle me laisse avec tout plein de questions: Y'a tu quelqu'un qui est mort? As-tu songé à la vitamine D? Es-tu en communication avec les esprits de l'au-delà? Est-ce que tu prends de la drogue, Emily? C'est quoi que t'essayes de nous dire?
November 29, 2018
Emily as it seems had a difficult life somewhat unable to connect with the normal tooing and froing of life. I read this at university in the early 80's and it left an impression that has lasted, I suppose as Emily said "the soul selects its own society".
April 4, 2018
Valium would've helped that bitch.
February 1, 2019
Beautifully bleak combined with a sort of unhinged reverence - it struck a chord.
March 13, 2019
3.25
I’m not the best poetry critic so for the most part a collection is as good as it has standout pieces.
I just don’t like the 19th century and nothing you say I gonna make me
I’m not the best poetry critic so for the most part a collection is as good as it has standout pieces.
I just don’t like the 19th century and nothing you say I gonna make me
July 30, 2021
3.5 stars.
January 24, 2022
extraordinary poet and a great little collection! although i will say that “deeply attuned to feminine attachments” is the funniest description of lesbianism i’ve ever read
February 6, 2022
The most deeply moving poetry about loneliness and nature and life and death. It’s the human experience, beautifully encapsulated.
May 13, 2022
I have fallen in love with Emily Dickinsons work recently, with the help of this small collection of her work. I hope to delve deeper into her thousands of other poems!
January 15, 2024
Easily one of my favorite poets and a good collection of her works but I feel like it’s missing a few of her best poems.
February 6, 2024
My first time reading a significant amount of Emily Dickinson's poetry and I absolutely adored it. She was brilliant.
August 27, 2024
i’m a fan.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews