Emily Dickinson Research Paper

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Throughout the world creative writers spring up every so often. Some writers become famous while alive, whereas others only reach the halls of fame when they have followed death into the afterlife. For example, Emily Dickinson never reached the world of fame with her writing while alive. However in death, she became well-known for her supplemental use of dashes. In contrast to Dickinson’s fame after death, another writer by the name of Sylvia Plath became famous while still alive. What influenced these two women to write poetry with such unique styles? One could assert Plath’s creative style could have been influenced by past experiences throughout her life and the same could be said for Dickinson. Another driving factor in Dickinson and Plath’s…show more content…
Dickinson and Lavinia (her sister) attended school throughout their adolescent years due to the encouragement received from their father. However, when a very close family member died from Typhus, Dickinson was thunderstruck with disbelief. The death had such an impact on Dickinson that the ever-growing fascination with death started blossom in the back of her mind. In addition to the fascination with death influencing her writing, many editors would often reticule her work and heavily alter it prior to publication. Dickinson feeling as if society binds an individual to a set of rules when writing, she began to write her poetry in complete isolation so as to prevent the desecration applied by editors to her unorthodox style. One such critic who gave Dickinson negative feedback was Thomas Wentworth Higginson and according to the article, “Emily Dickinson Poet and Recluse” his negative feedback led Dickinson to reply with, “I smile when you suggest that I delay ‘to publish’ – that being foreign to my thought as firmament to fin” (par 3). Knowing all too well that many would discourage her writing style or topics, Dickinson dove into secrecy when it came to writing. Due to the death of a childhood friend and her disregard for what many at the time perceived to be normal, Dickinson chose to not share her poetry. If it had not been for her sister Lavinia, the world would never know of Emily Dickinson’s influential and truly beautiful

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