Emily Dickinson, one of the most important American poets of the nineteenth century, remains an intriguing and fascinating writer. The Cambridge Companion to Emily Dickinson includes eleven new essays by accomplished Dickinson scholars. They cover Dickinson's biography, publication history, poetic themes and strategies, and her historical and cultural contexts. As a woman poet, Dickinson's literary persona has become incredibly resonant in the popular imagination. She has been portrayed as singular, enigmatic, and even eccentric. At the same time, Dickinson is widely acknowledged as one of the founders of American poetry, an innovative pre-modernist poet as well as a rebellious and courageous woman. This volume introduces new and practised readers to a variety of critical responses to Dickinson's poetry and life, and provides several valuable tools for students, including a chronology and suggestions for further reading.
An Emily Dickinson chronology; Introduction Wendy Martin; Part I. Biography and Publication History: 1. The Emily Dickinson wars Betsy Erkkila; 2. Emily Dickinson and the American South Christopher Benfey; 3. Susan and Emily Dickinson: their lives, in letters Martha Nell Smith; Part II. Poetic Strategies and Themes: 4. Emily Dickinson and poetic strategy Wendy Barker; 5. Emily Dickinson's existential dramas Fred White; 6. Performances of gender in Dickinson's poetry Christianne Miller and Suzanne Juhasz; 7. Emily Dickinson and the body Shira Wolosky; 8. Emily Dickinson and the gothic in fascicle 16 Daneen Wardrop; Part III. Cultural Contexts: 9. Emily Dickinson and popular culture David Reynolds; 10. Emily Dickinson and class Domhnall Mitchell; 11. Emily Dickinson and her American women peer poets Paula Bennett.
