Of the nearly 1800 poems that Emily Dickinson wrote, only eleven are known to have appeared in print while she was still alive, some heavily edited, many dubiously acquired, and all published without attribution. Our edition explores this curious subsection of her work, with particular attention to the editorial journey of her published poetry. How did these poems make it into the hands of editors? Whose decision was it to render them in print? And most importantly, how did these published poems represent—or obscure—the poet herself?”Without Attribution” contains all eleven pieces published in her lifetime, including ten poems and one artful valentine letter, with nine of the poems presented as side-by-side transcriptions representing the poem both as it was published and as it appeared in her handwritten letters and fascicles.
Emily Dickinson was an American poet whose writing transformed the possibilities of lyrical poetry. Her most acclaimed poems explore ideas of nature, love, death, and faith, and she is known for her ability to combine imagery with a style of slant rhyme and distinctive punctuation that was unecplored during her lifetime. She was largely unknown during her life, but is now regarded as one of the most influential poets in American literature.
Born in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1830, Dickinson published only a few poems when she was a live. After her death, nearly 1800 poems were discovered, and her writing gained widespread recognition for its emotional depth and innovation. She is celebrated today for being a literary pioneer whose writings shaped the study and practice of poetry.
