Facts about Emily Dickinson

Learn Quick Facts about

Emily Dickinson.

I will blog about a famous poet at least once a week, possibly twice a week. I have picked 20 poets to write quick facts about. 

This week’s featured poet is the enigmatic Emily Elizabeth Dickinson. She stands as one of America’s most unique and intriguing poets, penning close to one thousand eight hundred (1800) poems. Surprisingly, only about ten of her poems were published during her lifetime, adding to the mystery surrounding her. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to Edward and Emily Dickinson, she was the middle child with two siblings, William and Lavinia. Join me as we delve deeper into the life and works of this fascinating poet.

 

Here is a list of some poems/writings by Emily Dickinson:

• I'm Nobody! Who are you? 
• Hope is the thing with feathers  
• I heard a Fly buzz—when I died  
• The heart asks Pleasure – first
• To Mrs, with a Rose
• The May-Wine
• The Sleeping
• My Sabbath
• Sunset

Parents/caretakers, be sure poems are child-friendly before reading them to your child/children.

Who is your favorite poet?

 

Quick facts about Emily Dickinson:

1. She was born December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts.  

2. Emily Dickinson was 55 years old when she died. She passed away on May 15, 1866. She is buried in Amherst West Cemetery in Massachusetts. Her grave is in the center of the cemetery. It is surrounded by an iron fence. Her tombstone reads: EMILY DICKINSON BORN DEC. 10, 1830, CALLED BACK MAY 15, 1886

3. Emily Dickinson’s most famous poem is: 

Hope is the Thing with Feathers:

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

 

And sweetest in the Gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm.

 

I’ve heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest Sea;

Yet, never, in Extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

4. Emily Dickinson never married, and she never had children.

5. Emily Dickinson’s last words and final message was, “I must go in, the fog is rising”. She was very ill, and she was only able to communicate by writing notes. Bright’s disease is what is on her death certificate as the cause of death, but researchers believe she actually died from severe hypertension.

6. Emily Dickinson’s favorite color is the color purple. She mentions purple in her poems at least 40 or more times. So, researchers assume that purple must be her favorite color.

7. Did you know that Emily Dickinson wasn't just a poet, but also a talented gardener and musician? She cultivated a variety of plants, played the piano, and even composed her own music. This multi-talented side of Emily adds a fascinating layer to her already intriguing persona.

8. She had friends and mentors, but Emily Dickinson was not very social. She preferred to be alone. She liked to communicate by writing letters. She loved to write. She wrote the most letters/poems to Susan Gilbert, her brother’s wife. Her brother, William Austin, and his wife, Susan, lived next door to Emily Dickinson for around 30 years.

9. During her adult life, she left Amherst, Massachusetts, three times and traveled to Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and Boston, Massachusetts.  

 

Share a fact about Emily Dickinson with our viewers in the comments?

 

 

Get your free printable Emily Dickinson worksheet here:

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Visit my printable section for a wide selection of worksheets and coloring sheets!

 

 

Books about Emily Dickinson:

1. Poetry for Kids Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson

2. History for Kids: The Life of Emily Dickinson by Charles River Editors

3. Little Poet Emily Dickinson In Emily’s Garden by Kate Coombs

4. On Wings of Words: The Extraordinary Life of Emily Dickinson by Jennifer Berne

Parents/caretakers, be sure books are child-friendly before reading them to your child/children.

 

"Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door." — Emily Dickinson

Thank you for reading my famous poet post!! If you find a mistake, please advise me. Tune in next week to learn some quick facts about Elizabeth Barrett Browning!

 

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As the author of the JOEY SAVES THE DAY! book series and other titles, I share a deep admiration for Emily Dickinson's work. Like her, I love learning, reading, drawing, and writing. As a homeschool mother of two children and with two adult children that have already left the nest, I find inspiration in her life and works. I hope you do too.