EMILY

DICKINSON
Emily (Elisabeth) Dickinson, (born December 10, 1830, Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S.—died May 15, 1886,
Amherst), American lyric poet who lived in seclusion and commanded a singular brilliance of style and
integrity of vision. With Walt Whitman, Dickinson is widely considered to be one of the two leading 19th-
century American poets.
Only 10 of Emily Dickinson’s nearly 1,800 poems are known to have been published in her lifetime. Devoted
to private pursuits, she sent hundreds of poems to friends and correspondents while apparently keeping the
greater number to herself. She habitually worked in verse forms suggestive of hymns and ballads, with lines of
three or four stresses. Her unusual off-rhymes have been seen as both experimental and influenced by the 18th-
century hymnist Isaac Watts. She freely ignored the usual rules of versification and even of grammar, and in
the intellectual content of her work she likewise proved exceptionally bold and original. Her verse is
distinguished by its epigrammatic compression, haunting personal voice, enigmatic brilliance, and lack of high
polish.
The second of three children, Dickinson grew up in moderate privilege and with strong local and religious
attachments. For her first nine years she resided in a mansion built by her paternal grandfather, Samuel
Fowler Dickinson, who had helped found Amherst College but then went bankrupt shortly before her birth.
Her father, Edward Dickinson, was a forceful and prosperous Whig lawyer who served as treasurer of the
college and was elected to one term in Congress. Her mother, Emily Norcross Dickinson, from the leading
family in nearby Monson, was an introverted wife and hardworking housekeeper; her letters seem equally
inexpressive and quirky. Both parents were loving but austere, and Emily became closely attached to her
brother, Austin, and sister, Lavinia. Never marrying, the two sisters remained at home, and when their
brother married, he and his wife established their own household next door. The highly distinct and even
eccentric personalities developed by the three siblings seem to have mandated strict limits to their intimacy.
“If we had come up for the first time from two wells,” Emily once said of Lavinia, “her astonishment would
not be greater at some things I say.” Only after the poet’s death did Lavinia and Austin realize how dedicated
she was to her art.
As a girl, Emily was seen as frail by her parents and others and was often kept home from school. She attended
the coeducational Amherst Academy, where she was recognized by teachers and students alike for her
prodigious abilities in composition. She also excelled in other subjects emphasized by the school, most notably
Latin and the sciences. A class in botany inspired her to assemble an herbarium containing a large number of
pressed plants identified by their Latin names. She was fond of her teachers, but when she left home to attend
Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (now Mount Holyoke College) in nearby South Hadley, she found the
school’s institutional tone uncongenial. Mount Holyoke’s strict rules and invasive religious practices, along with
her own homesickness and growing rebelliousness, help explain why she did not return for a second year.
At home as well as at school and church, the religious faith that ruled the poet’s early years was evangelical
Calvinism, a faith centred on the belief that humans are born totally depraved and can be saved only if they
undergo a life-altering conversion in which they accept the vicarious sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Questioning
this tradition soon after leaving Mount Holyoke, Dickinson was to be the only member of her family who did
not experience conversion or join Amherst’s First Congregational Church. Yet she seems to have retained a
belief in the soul’s immortality or at least to have transmuted it into a Romantic quest for the transcendent
and absolute. One reason her mature religious views elude specification is that she took no interest in creedal
or doctrinal definition. In this she was influenced by both the Transcendentalism of Ralph Waldo Emerson
and the mid-century tendencies of liberal Protestant orthodoxy. These influences pushed her toward a more
symbolic understanding of religious truth and helped shape her vocation as poet.
Emotional currents are seen in explosions in her poems. She wrote short poems, most of which were based
on a single image or symbol. However, in her short poems, she reflects the most important things in her life
most effectively. In his poems, she tells about the love she could never experience and the lover she could
not meet. She also has poems about nature. She also has poems in which she talks about the success she
could not achieve and the failure she always saw as her friend. She reflects such elements in her poems in
such an impressive language that she is considered one of the best poets of all time in the USA.
 WHY IS SHE SO IMPORTANT IN LITERATURE?
• Dickinson's poems have a style that challenges the literary norms of her time. It stands out with the unique language, punctuation and style
elements it uses. This innovative approach makes her a prominent figure in literature.

• The poems of Dickinson are known for their profound emotional layers. Her exploration of themes such as love, death, nature, and
metaphysics carries a depth that resonates with readers, contributing to the enduring value of her work.

• Dickinson's works delve into metaphysical subjects and the quest to understand human existence. Themes such as death, immortality, and
spiritual experiences add a rich layer of depth to her poetry.

• Many of Dickinson's works were discovered posthumously, leading to a renewed appreciation of her literary contributions. Her impact on
subsequent generations of poets and writers has solidified her status as a lasting influence in literature.

• In an era where female poets were not as prevalent, Dickinson emerged as a prominent figure. Her success served as an inspiration for
women seeking a voice in literature, challenging societal expectations and paving the way for greater visibility.

• Dickinson resisted societal norms and challenged traditional gender roles and religious doctrines. This resistance contributes to the timeless
appeal of her works, as they continue to resonate with those questioning societal expectations.
 HER FAMOUS WORKS
•"Because I could not stop for Death" (1863):
Perhaps one of Dickinson's most famous poems, it personifies death as a
courteous carriage driver. The poem explores the inevitability of death and the
journey beyond life.
•"Hope is the thing with feathers" (c. 1861):
This poem is a powerful metaphor for hope, depicting it as a bird with feathers
that resides in the human soul. Despite challenges, hope endures like a bird in all
circumstances.
•"I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" (1862):
A contemplation of death, this poem vividly describes the speaker's experience of
death and the moment of transition, with a surprising and symbolic interruption by
a fly.
•"I'm Nobody! Who are you?" (c. 1861):
In this poem, Dickinson explores themes of individuality and societal
expectations. The speaker expresses a preference for being "nobody" rather than
conforming to societal norms.
 I´M NOBODY,WHO ARE YOU? BEN HİÇ KİMSEYİM,SEN KİMSİN?

I'm Nobody! Who are you? Ben hiç kimseyim, sen kimsin?
Are you – Nobody – too? Sen de mi hiç kimsesin?
Then there's a pair of us! O halde iki kişiyiz artık, kimseye söyleme
Don't tell! they'd advertise - you know! Yoksa ifşa ederler, bilirsin

Birisi olmak ne kadar kasvetli

Ne kadar bayağı, bir kurbağa gibi
How dreary – to be – Somebody!
Bitmek bilmez günün ismini birine vermek
How public – like a Frog –
Hayranlıkla bakan bir bataklığa ismini söylemek
To tell one's name - the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!

• This crowd-pleasing verse shows off the poet’s playful side. It’s proof that Dickinson’s insights on human
psychology aren’t limited to heavy topics like grief, doubt, and the fear of death. Here, her speaker winkingly
draws the reader into a friendly conspiracy of anonymity. You get the sense that this is someone who would’ve
love binge-watching reality TV and crowing, through mouthfuls of popcorn, how awesome it is to not be
famous. There’s a delightful hint of satire here — Dickinson strips public figures of their dignity by comparing
them to croaking frogs.
 SOURCES

• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Emily-Dickinson

• https://poets.org/poem/im-nobody-who-are-you-260

• https://reedsy.com/discovery/blog/emily-dickinson-poems

• https://lyricstranslate.com

• https://poetryfoundation.org/poets/emily-dickinson

• https://dusunbil.com/dunyayi-ve-hayati-kendi-odasinda-kesfeden-sair-emily-dickinson/

• https://youtu.be/tQkRUiOUnlQ?si=Wn_6dVYdxpZ5xKts