The Origins of American Literature
was considered unacceptable for publication. Apart from a few poems, most of her
work was published posthumously.
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
Life Family background She was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. Her father was
a successful lawyer and a prominent member of community who raised his children
according to austere Puritan principles. During her early years Emily was witty and
sociable, but from her mid-twenties she began to withdraw from the outside world.
Retreat into reclusion By the age of thirty she had become a total recluse, living
her life in total isolation: `You ask of my companions. Hills, sir, and the sundown, and a
dog as large as myself, that my father bought me. They are better than beings because
they know, but do not tell.' For over 20 years she never left her father's house, wore only
white clothes and received very few guests. The townspeople of Amherst referred to her
as `The Myth'.
annaabi.ee 
