Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson was born to Edward and Emily Norcross Dickinson in Amherst, Massachusetts. Her family was prominent in the town, and her father was a lawyer and treasurer of Amherst College.

Emily begins her formal education at Amherst Academy, where she excels in her studies, particularly in literature, science, and religion. She forms close friendships and develops a love for reading and writing.

Emily enrolls at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (now Mount Holyoke College), where she studies for a year. She is known for her independent thinking and spiritual questioning, which sets her apart from her peers.

After a brief return to Amherst and a visit to Washington, D.C., Emily returns to her family home and begins to withdraw from social life, focusing more on writing and her garden.

Emily starts organizing her poems into hand-sewn booklets, known as fascicles. These collections are a significant milestone in her poetic career, though they were not published during her lifetime.

Emily begins a lifelong correspondence with Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a literary critic and abolitionist. She sends him several poems, seeking his advice and critique, which he provides, though he does not persuade her to publish.

Emily faces personal and health challenges, including the illness of her father and her own increasing withdrawal from society. She continues to write but becomes even more reclusive, rarely leaving her home.

Emily's father, Edward Dickinson, dies, leaving a profound impact on her. She takes on more responsibilities at home and continues to write, finding solace in her poetry during this difficult time.

Emily develops a deep and meaningful friendship with Judge Otis Phillips Lord, a family friend. Their relationship is a significant emotional support for her in her later years, though it remains primarily epistolary.

Emily Dickinson dies at the age of 55, after a long period of declining health. Her sister Lavinia discovers her trove of poems and begins the process of having them published, introducing her work to the world.