Emily
Dickinson’s Diaries to a Friend
Did you ever read
something that immediately rushed you with emotions, and you couldn’t stop
reading it because of the way it made you feel? Reading Emily Dickinson’s
letters sent to family and friends throughout her lifetime evoke these exact
emotions and personal feelings that run straight to the heart. Each letter served a purpose and directed an emotional
response that was special to each person.
The letters could be read as diary entries, because of her passion and
vulnerability that was expressed to certain individuals. Emily Dickinson was very aware of her
emotions and was extremely successful in expressing exactly how she was feeling
and why she was feeling in that way. This
explains why Emily Dickinson is an amazing poet that is set aside from all of
the rest; her poetry was meant to help release some of the emotions she was
feeling and was cathartic for her.
One of the most
important interactions Emily formed was with Thomas Higginson Wentworth. The letters Emily wrote to him asked whether
her work had potential to be published and if he could help her in that
process. Thomas Wentworth was a very
honest friend to Emily and encouraged her to continue writing her poetry, but
her poetry would never be published during her time because it did not fit with
the style of the 19th Century.
Emily accepted everything Thomas wrote back to her and at that point had
decided to just stay within her own home.
Unfortunately, she made little contact with the world other than a few
letters here and there. At one point, Emily was offered to go to
Boston, where she would meet with Higginson to talk in person about some of her
works of poetry. Emily refused and said
that if he wanted to talk to her, he should travel to Amherst to visit with
her. This may be because she was
unwilling to publish her poetry after she realized that she would never see
fame during her lifetime. In this sense,
Emily was very unconventional because she didn’t want to publish or give away
her poetry because it was very special to her.
Publication
– is the Auction (788)
Publication
– is the Auction
Of
the Mind of Man –
Poverty
– be justifying
For
so foul a thing
Possibly
– but We – would rather
From
Our Garret go
White
– unto the White Creator –
Than
invest – Our Snow –
Thought
belong to Him who gave it –
Then
– to Him Who bear
It's
Corporeal illustration – sell
The
Royal Air –
In
the Parcel – Be the Merchant
Of
the Heavenly Grace –
But
reduce no Human Spirit
To
Disgrace of Price –
Videos of the two photos of Emily Dickinson and a
reading of two letters to T.W. Higginson
Resources with letters from Dickinson and discuss her
relationship with T.W. Higginson
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