3 famous poems by Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson was an American poetess who lived in the nineteenth century. She wrote nearly 1800 poems. Dickinson did not publish her work during her life. Her first volume of poems was published four years after her death in 1890.

The main themes in Dickinson’s work are related especially to nature, family, religion, death, love, and friendship.

In the poem “This is my letter to the world“, the author reveals her fear that future readers will not understand her work. If the world “never wrote” to her, Nature personified spoke to the poet and she transposed “With tender majesty” (line 4) the messages into poems.

The poetess gives her poems to the world. She knows that her work will reach “To hands I cannot see” (line 6) and she asks the readers “Judge tenderly of me!” (line 8)

In another Dickinson’s poem, “Who are you?” the poetess asks the reader: “Are you – Nobody – too? / Then there’s a pair of us!”(lines 2-3). In these lines, she involves the reader, creates a connection with him. She puts in antithesis the two nouns: Nobody and Somebody. The poetess refers to nature: frog, bog, June. She makes fun of those who seek celebrity by comparing them with some frogs.

In the poem “Hope is the Thing with Feathers“, the author compares hope with a bird that has its nest in the soul. Emily Dickinson writes: “And sings the tune without the words / And never stops – at all”( lines 3-4). In these verses, the poetess shows that hope never dies.

Even if people go through the greatest troubles, which the author compares with elements of nature (frozen land, troubled sea, extremity), hope remains in the soul. It helps people overcome difficulties and it does not ask for anything in return.

Dickinson’s poems delight readers with the themes approached, with the way she understood life and translated it into verses.

English literature researchers consider Emily Dickinson as one of the most important American poets of the nineteenth century.

If you are interested in finding other articles on our site about poetry, here it is: The Poet Sylvia Plath – 5 Interesting Facts.