This Week's Historical Theme: Literature
10 December 1830
A significant event throughout the history of literature that occurred in December was the birth of Emily Dickinson, who was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. She was a witty and popular student when she studied at Amherst Academy and at Mt. Holyoke, but she was viewed as unconventional. Although rarely leaving Amherst, she made some trips to Philadelphia and Boston. This was because she preferred her home, where her strict father, invalid mother, spinster sister and domineering brother created a colourful yet oppressive family life. In 1862, Dickinson wrote to an editor, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, for him to evaluate her work. He said her work was not yet ready to publish but became her mentor.
Today, only one romance of Dickinson's is known about. This was with Judge Otis Lord. Even though it looked like the two would marry, the romance ended. After 1862, she was increasingly reluctant to leave her house and often declined to see visitors. Only seven poems of hers were published in her lifetime, even though she wrote 1,775. All of these were deceptively simple and had endless variations on the same pattern. When Dickinson was 55, she died. However, in 1890, thanks to her sister, 'Poems by Emily Dickinson' was published, which would be followed by more volumes over the next 60 years. In 1955, 'The Complete Works of Emily Dickinson' was published.
Want to find out more about the life of Emily Dickinson? Click here for more information, or here to read some of her poems. Or watch the historical comedy-drama series 'Dickinson' on Apple TV+ for more.
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