Probably the most important influence for Emily Dickinson was the time perio in which she was born. She was born into what seemed to be a kind of intellectual time period for Amherst, Massachusetts. The time and place included such distinguished poets as Noah Webster, Helen Hunt Jackson, Eugene Field, and Robert Frost. Dickinson had the perfect surrounding for an aspiring poet; a very prominent family and many renowned poets to stimulate her desire to write (Longsworth xii).

Emily Dickinson was born in a brick house on December 10, 1830 in a little town called Amherst, Massachusetts (Longsworth 12). According to Noah Webster, who lived up the street from Dickinson from 1812-1822, she was born in a mansion. His definition of a mansion was a building with four or more chimneys; the Dickinson's house

Emily Dickinson attended Amherst Academy like her siblings. While there she studied Latin, French, history, rhetoric, botany, geology, and mental philosophy (GALE n. pag.). In late September 1847 she entered Mount Holyoke Female Seminary at South Hadley. The school was located ten miles south of Amherst (Longsworth 36). Considering her nature it is reasonable that she was excited about the school. There she studied history, chemistry, Latin, physiology, and English grammar (GALE n. pag.). She was unable to complete her stay at Mount Holyoke due to bad health. Her sickness commonly interfered with school as well as church (Longsworth 56). Her father believed that she would exaggerate her illnesses to be able to skip church (Longsworth **). At the age of twenty Dickinson's education ceased (Longsworth 65). She began to spend a lot more time with her friends and less time with her family (Longsworth 65). While Austin was away at college he met Sue Gilbert and was determined to ma!

Because I could not stop for Death,

hoped to spark a new interest in her poetry and bring more of her poems to light. Although it did not work it was the most complete collection of her poems (Longsworth 1).

Longsworth, Polley. Emily Dickinson Her Letter to the World. New York: Thomas Y Crowell Comp.1965.

in 1862. Dickinson was upset she had again lost a love and spiritual leader (Longsworth 110). Samuel Bowles died in Springfield in 1878 after a long and serious illness (Longsworth 145). Some of her best poems came out of the times after a dramatic event, such as the death of these important people (GALE n. pag.).

This last stanza was later missing until Johnson inserted it in his edition of Dickinson's poets.

Anderson, Robert, et al., eds. Elements of Literature.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Thomas Johnson's, Dickinson's Grandfather, Dickinson Anglo-American, Edward Dickinson, Emily Dickinson, Judge Lord, Abiah Root, Dickinson Samuel, Mount Holyoke, Samuel Bowles, emily dickinson, gale pag, edward dickinson, poems longsworth, dickinson's father, samuel bowles, longsworth 63, emily dickinson's, mother stroke left, sister lavinia, stop death-, dickinson's father edward,
Approximate Word count = 2262
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)