Who is Emily Dickinson?

Emily Dickinson was an American poet from the 19th century. However, she never knew she would become famous. She was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, on December 10th, 1830. Her life was very interesting, and she wanted very little of her poems published. In this time period, it wasn’t really proper to have women in the workplace. It was more of a time when women worked as housewives. Which was something Emily herself didn’t like. She wrote thousands of poems just starting at the age of 14. She wrote until she died, but she really only wrote to one specific person. We believe it was for her best friend, Susan Gilbert (known as Sue). Which is very interesting. Susan ended up becoming Emily’s sister-in-law. Emily was the second child of three. Her siblings were Austin Dickinson and Lavinia Dickinson.

Something about Emily and Lavinia was that they were never married. Emily didn’t believe in marriage, and Lavinia dreamed of being a housewife but, sadly, never became one. We were told throughout the history of the poet that she and Sue were intimate. Later in Dickinson’s life, she continued to write poems and also requested that if she ever died, her sister Lavinia would burn all of Emily’s letters. After the passing of Emily in May of 1886, Lavinia burned the letters as Emily requested. Lavinia ended up finding around 1,775 poems. Emily never told Lavinia about them. After Lavinia discovered the poems, she decided they should be published. Not so long later, Emily Became became one of the most famous poets in American history.

Visiting the poets home

In October 2023, I finally got to visit Emily Dickinson’s house, where she was born and raised. Along with visiting her and her family’s grave, which is not so far from her home, things like wallpaper, beds, and flooring were all replicas due to how old the house was. The downstairs area towards the entrance was once the kitchen. It later became the lobby where you could buy variants of her poems, books about her, and others. You learn about the structure of her poems and how there are different variants of them.

You also learn that those different variants use different words that have different meanings. This proves that word choice can show different perspectives in her poems. It could go from a happy poem to a sad one. You also learn that none of her poems were ever titled and that she was most likely a redhead due to the portaits of her and the family that are around the house.

When you take a tour, you visit certain parts of her house. The dining room, the living room where Emily spent her time playing piano, Lavinia’s and Emily’s bedrooms, and her mother’s bedroom. Most of the real clothes, portraits, bedding, etc. are in different museums around Amherst. Only very little authentic furniture, like the poet’s desk, is still in her room. There is her iconic dress, which she was known to wear only for writing purposes. Due to the value of the dress, it’s also in a museum. When you take a look at her room, there is a replica of the dress she used to wear, just so we can get a glimpse of what she was wearing while writing iconic poems. The dress is white with pockets, so she can carry a pencil and paper wherever she goes, just in case she gets a thought in her head. It has buttons down the front, so she is comfortable without a corset, and she is able to take the dress off herself.

The Gravesite

The last place we visited was Emily’s grave. The museum gives out a map for you, so you’re

able to visit her gravesite. The grave is fenced off on a hill in the west cemetery in the center of Amherst, Massachusetts. She is buried next to her parents, Emily Norcross Dickinson and Edward Dickinson, and her sister, Lavinia Dickinson. However, her brother Austin Dickinson and Sue are buried at another cemetery in Amherst. After 136 years, she is still claimed to be one of America’s greatest poets of all time. Her legacy and consummate poems are still being taught in school, along with a TV show called “Dickinson” to show Emily and the Dickinson family’s story.

Emily Dickinson was an extraordinary poet whose life and work continue to inspire readers today. Visiting her house in Amherst is a great way to connect with her legacy and gain a deeper understanding of her artistry. It’s a must-see for any poetry lover or history enthusiast. So, whether you’re exploring her poems or walking through her home, Emily Dickinson’s life and house in Amherst offer a captivating glimpse into the world of this remarkable poet.