Emily Dickinson: Her Poetry and Her Letters to Susan Gilbert Dickinson

Dickinson's poetry and her intimate letters to Susan Huntington Gilbert Dickinson.

2 Nov, 20243 min read

Emily Dickinson was an American poet who is known for her distinct and unconventional style. Living a secluded life in Massachusetts, her poetry reflected her own sense of life, death, and love.

She is known for her identiy as a prolific writer who had written more than 1800 poems yet her works remained unpublished in her lifetime; and the published works were changed and edited to conform to the conventions of the time.

“If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.”

Dickinson's poetry often delves into the existentialist nature of her identity and soul. She is notably known for her obsession with themes such as death, inner struggles with emotions and a materialistic world, immortality, and the complexities of life. There is always an emphasis on the inner self and inner struggles as a woman living a reclusive life. Through her poetry, in a sense she dealt with her own world stuck within the expectations of society, away from real life.

I need you more and more, and the great world grows wider… every day you stay away — I miss my biggest heart; my own goes wandering round, and calls for Susie… Susie, forgive me Darling, for every word I say — my heart is full of you… yet when I seek to say to you something not for the world, words fail me… I shall grow more and more impatient until that dear day comes, for til now, I have only mourned for you; now I begin to hope for you.

Throughout her life she maintained close relationships with her family members; especially her sister and her sister-in-law Susan Gilbert Dickinson. She never married yet she had some partners and close relationships with a few individuals including Susan Gilbert Dickinson. What they had was marked by intense affection, hidden feelings and possessio at times. In her letters to Susan, Dickinson portrays her love through the words she picked very carefully, from the bottom of her heart, and from the most hidden places in her soul.

I chose this single star

From out the wide night’s numbers —

Sue — forevermore!

There are ongoing debates over Dickinson's sexuality and love interests, yet it is quite visible in her letters and poems to Susan Gilbert Dickinson that there was something more than a close friend's affection. Dickinson's letters are written in a language that feels unmistakenly romantic and intensely raw. This intensity goes beyond the bounds of friendship; there is a sense of longing, a sense of tenderness and a sense of pure love in those letters.

In the end, we know Dickinson's poetry captures a love that is so deep and tender in its chemistry. In her poems and her love letters, she speaks a language yearning for love in the most tender form possible.