Emily Dickinson Gifts
This ‘woman in white’ became a legendary American Poet. Born on December 10, 1830, young Emily Dickinson attended Amherst Academy for seven years before moving onto the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. She eventually retired and stayed at her home, where she remained reclusive and quiet. Emily became troubled at a very early age. Both her second cousin and a close friend grew ill from typhus and died when Emily was only 14 years old. Her spirits sunk low into depression, and she was often plagued by thoughts of death. She is often depicted wearing white, but this wasn’t necessarily for dramatic effect. Emily Dickinson did actually have a penchant for wearing white clothing. She avoided social circumstances as best she could, and even in the company of a few, she was reputed to not greet them or even leave the room that she was in. As a by-product, any acquaintance she did allow herself to have was maintained through written correspondence. She died on May 15, 1886. She had left specific instructions for her youngest sister, Lavinia, to burn her poetry. But she had failed to mention the forty some notebooks locked away in a chest. Seeing her sister’s obvious talent, Lavinia became obsessed with getting them published. In the year 1890, Lavinia’s wish came true, and her sister’s masterpieces were finally able to be appreciated.
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