Biography

Emily Dickinson was born December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts, to an important family, known for their political and educational authority. Samuel Dickinson, her grandfather was one of the founders of Amherst College. Dickinson's father was a lawyer, and eventually became a senator. Her mother was ill during Dickinson's childhood. Dickinson attended Amherst Academy. Earlier the Academy had been an all boy's school which had recently opened to girls. At the Academy, she studied Latin, English, Religion, History, Math, and Classical Literature.

Just after reaching her 17th birthday in 1847, Dickinson started studying at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, which is now known as Mount Holyoke College. After a year at Mount Holyoke, Dickinson returned home. Somehow at age 18, she became a recluse, only leaving her family home on brief visits to family in Cambridge, Connecticut and Boston. It is speculated whether Dickinson had romantic relationships with younger women in her life. This may have had something to do with her becoming a recluse.

For the rest of her life, Dickinson wrote poetry, much of which was about love, passion and relationships. There is much doubt on whether any of her desires ever took place. During her lifetime, only Susan, her best friend and sister-in-law, and her sister, Lavinia, were ever asked to critique Dickinson's poems. After her death in May of 1886, Dickinson's family found at least 40 bound volumes equaling more than 900 poems. Dickinson's poetry was published before and after her death, although before her death, she did not know that either her sister or best friend published her work. She died of nephritis.