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mlsweeten's review
challenging
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
3.5
I was more interested in the poetry than the letters. Her poems have a consistent rhythm so I find reading them to be relaxing and soothing. While they appear simple, some of them really aren’t. She writes a lot about nature and death. Some seemed very abstract but my favorites are a bit more personal.
“I shall know why, when time is over
And I have ceased to wonder why;
Christ will explain each separate anguish
In the fair schoolroom of the sky.”
“I shall know why, when time is over
And I have ceased to wonder why;
Christ will explain each separate anguish
In the fair schoolroom of the sky.”
elizartemisbailey's review against another edition
5.0
“The frogs sing sweet today—they have such pretty, lazy times—how nice to be a frog!”
PLEASE BE ADVISED Dickinson’s super-famous poems pale in comparison to the imagination and genius of many of her others.
PLEASE BE ADVISED Dickinson’s super-famous poems pale in comparison to the imagination and genius of many of her others.
brienm13's review
4.0
I had of course heard of Emily Dickinson beforehand, but never took time to read into her or her work until now (apart from seeing some of her poems here and there). The way she used language was very interesting and often insightful, even with the simplest of themes and meanings. I noticed she loves the use of metaphors and rhyming, but also a lot of personification which I feel is a more unique characteristic from other poets I have read. Her letters are what makes this book take a deeper dove into her life and experiences, and is unlike any other poetry books I have read so I additionally appreciated that element. It took a while to get through, as I use a critical eye and take my time with poetry and there was so much in here, but I enjoyed the journey!
milandeep's review against another edition
4.0
A word is dead
When it is said,
Some say.
I say it just
Begins to live
That day.
The poems and letters of Emily Dickinson transported me back to the nineteenth century America, an era I like to read about because I admire another couple of people from this time. She became reclusive later in her life but her letters clearly show that she enjoyed her youth with her friends and family and always looked forward to meet them. Her poems are mostly short and can be read over again and again. Her writing is quite unconventional, her poems almost sound like ballads. They show her love of nature, her fascination with death ("I felt a Funeral, in my Brain") and musings about God. I think her withdrawal from society was not a retreat from life but a way to take control of her own life after a family scandal.
She was labelled as an 'old-fashioned spinster' which doesn't seems to be the case. Her letters show her feelings and desires which are not very obvious by the myth created around her. Her family fought for her legacy after her death and discovery of her copious poems and they wanted to create a certain image of her and were successful to a large extent. Though she never left what she always called "my father's house", I think she lived the way she wanted to live - pouring the mystery of her life in her writings and becoming immortal.
When it is said,
Some say.
I say it just
Begins to live
That day.
The poems and letters of Emily Dickinson transported me back to the nineteenth century America, an era I like to read about because I admire another couple of people from this time. She became reclusive later in her life but her letters clearly show that she enjoyed her youth with her friends and family and always looked forward to meet them. Her poems are mostly short and can be read over again and again. Her writing is quite unconventional, her poems almost sound like ballads. They show her love of nature, her fascination with death ("I felt a Funeral, in my Brain") and musings about God. I think her withdrawal from society was not a retreat from life but a way to take control of her own life after a family scandal.
She was labelled as an 'old-fashioned spinster' which doesn't seems to be the case. Her letters show her feelings and desires which are not very obvious by the myth created around her. Her family fought for her legacy after her death and discovery of her copious poems and they wanted to create a certain image of her and were successful to a large extent. Though she never left what she always called "my father's house", I think she lived the way she wanted to live - pouring the mystery of her life in her writings and becoming immortal.
giannanigroithink's review against another edition
5.0
the essay portion took me most of last night to get through but it was a lovely read
ela_lee_'s review
3.0
I’ve read Emily Dickinson’s poems here and there, but this was the first official book of hers I’ve read straight through. It was nice and calming to listen while drifting off to sleep every night. I can’t say I’m personally touched by her poetry, but I did find her letters interesting and a great glimpses into 19th-century New England life, especially as a woman.
_dunno_'s review against another edition
3.0
Rich in details, poetic, of course, but somehow mixed with day-to-day experiences and little nothings
servemethesky's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this collection of Emily Dickinson's poetry and letters. I'm rating 4 stars based on my own enjoyment rather than a critical review of her work. I always like reading poetry, but feel like I'm not getting it...enough. Like it's not sinking in deeply enough. Particularly with Dickinson's work, I always find it beautiful, moving, and provocative, but often can't seem to decipher true meaning, let alone note her stylistic prowess and its connotations.
What I enjoyed most about this collection was the letters. You can truly see the evolution of Emily Dickinson from age 14 until her death at 56. Her letters illuminate history, and the world in which she grew up, sheltered and isolated from society. The beauty and craft evident in her letters was hugely impressive- I wish I could write like that in day-to-day life without sounding like a pretentious flake.
What I enjoyed most about this collection was the letters. You can truly see the evolution of Emily Dickinson from age 14 until her death at 56. Her letters illuminate history, and the world in which she grew up, sheltered and isolated from society. The beauty and craft evident in her letters was hugely impressive- I wish I could write like that in day-to-day life without sounding like a pretentious flake.