Your reflections on Emily Dickinson are both immersive and deeply perceptive. You capture not just the mystery of her solitude but the paradox of a poet who withdrew from the world, only to leave behind words that refuse to be ignored. The way you thread personal resonance with historical exploration makes this more than just a literary study - it’s an intimate dialogue with a mind that still startles us, even centuries later.
Your insights on the risks of being different struck a chord. Dickinson’s refusal to conform - whether in social life, faith, or creative expression - is a testament to the power of unfiltered introspection. It’s fascinating how those who retreat from the world often see it most clearly. Perhaps her reclusiveness wasn’t isolation but immersion - into thought, into language, into the unseen. You make me wonder: was her silence an act of surrender, or was it her boldest form of defiance?
Thank you for this. I was an English major in undergraduate in 1992 at UMASS Amherst MA. My professors were respectful of her genius but it took my own curiosity and a fascinating book called "Madwomen in the Attic" to see her for the quiet feminist revolutionary she was. The Apple TV pop sugar neuroqueer rendition of her (especially the time travel dream scape where she meets Sylvia Path) is also delightful. I've always loved her work and only recently realized how deeply my own poetry has been influenced and inspired by her, my patron saint introvert mystic poster child.
This was beautiful, thank you. I haven't read any of her poems yet, but now I want to. Her wanting to be secluded from the world is something I can identify with, as most introverts I assume. I prefer to think and watch the world go by, rather than to engage it it fully. Good to know she was similar, if not on the extreme end of the spectrum.
Your reflections on Emily Dickinson are both immersive and deeply perceptive. You capture not just the mystery of her solitude but the paradox of a poet who withdrew from the world, only to leave behind words that refuse to be ignored. The way you thread personal resonance with historical exploration makes this more than just a literary study - it’s an intimate dialogue with a mind that still startles us, even centuries later.
Your insights on the risks of being different struck a chord. Dickinson’s refusal to conform - whether in social life, faith, or creative expression - is a testament to the power of unfiltered introspection. It’s fascinating how those who retreat from the world often see it most clearly. Perhaps her reclusiveness wasn’t isolation but immersion - into thought, into language, into the unseen. You make me wonder: was her silence an act of surrender, or was it her boldest form of defiance?
“I’m only a bit reclusive. Emily Dickinson took reclusiveness to a new level.”
I FEEL THIS.
This was a truly wonderful read!
So interesting, thank you. My favourite poems are ‘ I’m Nobody ! Who are you ?’ and ‘Because I could not stop for Death’
Absolutely stunning article!! As always, I love your personal touch on each author and the amount of work you did while analyzing the book :)
Thank you for this. I was an English major in undergraduate in 1992 at UMASS Amherst MA. My professors were respectful of her genius but it took my own curiosity and a fascinating book called "Madwomen in the Attic" to see her for the quiet feminist revolutionary she was. The Apple TV pop sugar neuroqueer rendition of her (especially the time travel dream scape where she meets Sylvia Path) is also delightful. I've always loved her work and only recently realized how deeply my own poetry has been influenced and inspired by her, my patron saint introvert mystic poster child.
I don't know much about Emily Dickinson, so I am so looking forward to learning more about her this month! 😊📚
Lives Like Loaded Guns was SUCH a fascinating book!
This was beautiful, thank you. I haven't read any of her poems yet, but now I want to. Her wanting to be secluded from the world is something I can identify with, as most introverts I assume. I prefer to think and watch the world go by, rather than to engage it it fully. Good to know she was similar, if not on the extreme end of the spectrum.
Thanks!
It’s hard not to be curious about Emily Dickinson — thank you for exploring for us.