English 101
Emily Dickinson is one of the world's best known poets. People around the globe have heard her name and read her work. It seems logical that much would be known about such a famous person, but there's not. Owen Thomas speculates on the influence her father had, and Anna Mary Wells shows us how little is really known about her.
In Father and Daughter: Edward and Emily Dickinson Owen Thomas shows us that Emily's father was "a major influence in her life."(150) Poetry in her early years of writing used imagery largely drawn from her fathers occupations. Edward is described as a "conscientious treasurer for Amherst College."(511) Emily reflects this in her poetry by using "images of finance."(513) Owen further highlights the influence her father had upon her by showing us a trend that develops in her poetry after her father dies. Imagery in her poems changed and grew while he was still alive, it evolved. After he died she began reusing imagery from earlier poems, showing us that "such images drew there sustenance from the influence of Edward Dickinson."(522-523) It does seem clear that her father was important to Emily, but Thomas also shows us that their relationship was strained. After a crisis in her life her writing shows that the support she got from her father was less important than the crisis itself; that she had a crisis at all was the important part. Thomas adds that Edward "was conscientious but hardly affectionate."(511) Her writing clearly shows that her father was important to her, but it also shows they may not have been close.
Anna Mary Wells tells us less about the influences in Emily's life and more about a general lack of knowledge regarding her. Some of the biographies written about Emily have been credible but lacking in real evidence. Wells tells us of two such biographies that "embody careful and thoughtful research", but also "include a good deal of conjecture."(456) With so few details about her real life it is easy to start speculating. Wells says Emily was a person of mystery; it seemed her whole life could be summed up in a few sentences.(455) Even well researched books remain suspect because of her mysterious nature. Even the crisis that experts believe involved a lover remains a mystery, according to Wells no one knows who he is. So even though Emily Dickinson is a famous poet, "there is much left for the future student of Emily Dickinson to discover."(458)
Emily Dickinson's poems may be the reason that she is so famous. They're about as unique as they get, but a part of her success may have to do with her seclusive lifestyle. After all, most people love a good mystery.
Works Cited
Thomas, Owen. "Father and Daughter: Edward and Emily Dickinson." American Literature, Vol 40, No. 4, Duke University Press, (Jan 1969). 510-523. JSTOR. Web. 22Mar10
Wells, Anna Mary. "Emily Dickinson" The Human Background of her Poetry." American Literature, Vol 2, Issue 4, Duke University Press,(Jan 1931). 455-458. Literary Reference Center. Web. 22Mar10
