Emily Dickinson: A Brilliant Poet in Review

By Catherine Grace Polatidis '26

Oftentimes, when we think of the most premier and legendary poets, names like Edgar Allen Poe, William Shakespeare and John Keats come to mind. However, just as brilliant and ever cunning poetry can also be found in the anthologies of female poets too. Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou and Emily Dickinson are great examples of this.  

Emily Dickinson in particular was renowned for blending different literary movements

in her poetry. She is considered a transitional poet, using aspects of Romanticism, Transcendentalism, and Realism in her work to create a unique poetry experience. Dickinson is also known for her plentiful use of irregular dashes and capitalization to create an unconventional writing style. Dickinson wrote poetry on a range of topics although most of her poetry focused on themes of nature, life, and death. 

Although Emily Dickinson had a successful career paving the way for future poets, a lot of her fame took place after her passing. In fact, during her life, she only published around 10 poems, all anonymously. Her editor, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, notoriously pressured her to frequently change her writing style to a more unpretentious one, suggestions which Dickinson declined. After her passing in 1886, her sister ​​Lavinia Dickinson, with the help of two editors, published almost all of her 1800 hidden works. 

To this day, Emily Dickinson remains an iconic revolutionary of poetry and an inspiration to many. Her legacy and authenticity has shaped modern poetry and will continue to have a lasting impact on the poetry genre forever.  

Photo Courtesy of emilydickinsonmuseum.org

Sources: emilydickinsonmuseum.org and wikipedia.org

Edited By: Catherine Grace Polatidis '26 and Ms. Brilliant

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