Sweet Skepticism of the Heart - That knows - and does not know -

Sometimes, the only refuge lies within, where the mind and body engage in a poetic dialogue. In her era, while other poets remained safely ensconced in their established worlds, she ventured along the unbeaten paths, crafting abstract spaces that became palpable through the power of musicality. They adhered to the norms of their art, but hers transcended both the physical and the mental. Writing from a house that others saw as her prison, she transformed it into her artistic fortress.

She was cognizant of external standards yet chose not to conform. While others wrote in harmony, she devised her own rules: using dashes instead of punctuation, employing incorrect spellings, and refining melancholia through her unique language, making it beautiful on the page.

She didn't marry or follow the traditional expectations of a woman in her century. It took time for her art to gain serious recognition. Nevertheless, she continued to write. She wrote to understand the pain she endured, to conquer her fears, and to inspire us to introspect through her words. When she had no friends and was betrayed by lovers, she found solace in Nature and peace in the stillness of the universe.

Over the years, I've read snippets of her poems here and there. However, this edition, this collection, is my absolute favorite. It's a must-have on the bookshelf, one to revisit time and again. I immersed myself in it for a while, relishing Dickinson's words and seeing the world through her poet's eyes as I traced the chronological order of her poems. Arranged by years, from 1850 onwards towards the 1880s, around the time of her death (although the numbering is a bit frustrating as Dickinson's poems rely on numbers as titles), 1877 stands out as my favorite year. It was then that some of her longer poems emerged, at times scathingly introspective and yet inclusive of the natural world, confident and opinionated.

**Essence and Existence**

The miracle of Dickinson's story does not lie (solely) in the author's revolutionary expressive capacity, in her terse, ironic, and extremely powerful verses sometimes composed of single isolated words that shatter reality more than many pages of prose.

The most extraordinary element is realizing how a secluded young woman from a countryside far from the vibrant centers of 19th-century culture was able to put on paper the most complex and ineffable philosophical and existential turns of the Human Person, who was now approaching the century with the most profound upheavals in history (at least for the identity of the human being itself).

These are Verses that could have been written now in 2020, to represent our eternal condition of entities stretched between Reason, Instinct, Will, Consciousness, and Death:

"And then a Plank in Reason, broke
And I dropped down, and down
And hit a World, at every plunge.
And Finished knowing - then - "

"There is a pain - so utter
It swallows substance up
Then covers the Abyss with Trance -
so Memory can step
Around - across - upon it "

"Suspence - is Hostiler than Death -
Death - tho'soever Broad.
is just Death, and cannot increase -
Suspense - does not conclude "

Dickinson's poetics lies entirely here: far from a sterile romanticism based on simplistic emotionality (as poetry seems to have to be in the "national-popular" era of legibility and story-telling).

"This was a Poet - It is that
Distills amazing sense
From Ordinary Meanings "

From a stylistic point of view, the impact of Dickinson's poetry is equally shocking and deeply moving: the ironic, stentorian, inevitable use of single words achieves an effect like that of a gong whose sound resonates for a long time and fills the frequent intervals, marked by the omnipresent dashes. From this follows a slow, profound, almost ritual musicality of the verse, rich in bass that seem to come from other spaces, from the existential spaces of our being or from the sidereal spaces of the infinite that surrounds us.

Unfortunately, however, for Margherita Guidacci's translation: it may have the historical and philological merit of having introduced Dickinson to Italy, but the very free way in which she has transposed the American poetess's verses into Italian does not convince me at all. Many intervals marked by dashes have been eliminated, many capitals have been removed, and the syncopated and terse rhythm has been ruined for a conventional and trite verse. Also, the choice of vocabulary does not respect Dickinson's choices, who preferred dry, expressive, little-elaborated words - and Guidacci instead seems to draw abundantly from an Italian 19th-century poet who has very little innovative.

Tell me how one goes from:

"The Sun kept setting - setting - still
No Hue of Afternoon -
Upon the Village I perceived -
From House to House 'twas Noon - "

to:

"Il sole seguitava a tramontare
ma nessuna serale sfumatura
vedevo sul paese
nelle case regnava mezzogiorno "

I would highly, highly recommend taking a leisurely stroll through Dickinson's collected verse. She is, quite surprisingly, a highly underrated poet. Delving deep into her entire collection will not only unearth unknown gems but also bring back old favorites. This particular edition, which is organized chronologically, offers a wonderful opportunity to study her growth as a poet and explore the evolution of her obsessions over time. It also conveniently provides the date of first publication, if there was one. It is an absolute must-have for any poetry enthusiast. Moreover, it is highly recommended for those who have a modest interest in poetry. This is because it collects all of the poetry of one of America's most influential, accessible, and subtly complex poets.

Dickinson was an incredibly prolific poet, and this collection showcases her vast body of work with a total of 1775 poems.

The collection is not only comprehensive but also well organized, allowing readers to easily explore and appreciate Dickinson's poetry.

Many of her early poems are filled with the charm and innocence of girlish things, such as flowers and bees. However, as one delves deeper into the collection, it becomes evident that Dickinson matured both as a person and as a poet.

Just like any artist, Dickinson's body of work contains a range of quality. There are some poems that are rather ordinary, some that are quite good, and a few that are truly amazing.

Overall, this collection provides a wonderful opportunity to discover and understand the evolution of Dickinson's poetic genius.

Overall, it was rather disappointing. She indeed had a distinct voice and style, and I can understand the appeal it might have for some. However, I felt that her poems were overly repetitive, and there wasn't much that really caught my attention. There was, however, one exception.

Tell all the truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind —

This particular poem stood out to me. The idea of telling the truth in a slanted way, of revealing it gradually, was quite interesting. It made me think about how the truth can sometimes be too overwhelming if presented all at once. The comparison of the truth to lightning and the need to ease it with kind explanation was also a powerful image. It made me realize that we need to approach the truth with care and respect, and not just bombard people with it.

I can classify these poems into 5 categories:

- I understood and I liked it.

- I didn't understand but I liked it.

- I understood.

- I didn't understand.

- This one was racist.

There are a huge number of poems that I liked. Some of them really caught my attention and I will try to learn them by heart. I find that different poems have different impacts on me. Those that I understood and liked made me feel a deep connection with the author's thoughts and emotions. The ones that I didn't understand but still liked had a certain charm that made me curious to explore further. As for the racist poem, it was a stark contrast and made me realize the importance of promoting positive and inclusive values through literature. Overall, my experience with these poems has been both interesting and thought-provoking.

Emily Dickinson's poetry is truly remarkable for its deeply existential nature. Her works explore the profound questions of life, death, love, and the human condition with an intensity and insight that is simply breathtaking.

But her story is just as captivating as her poetry. Dickinson lived a relatively secluded life, yet her mind was constantly filled with vivid and original thoughts. She wrote hundreds of poems, many of which were not published during her lifetime.

This collection of her works is a treasure trove that allows readers to dip in and out, savoring her unique perspective and powerful language. And one cannot help but be struck by the beauty and impact of her opening lines. Each one is like a hook that draws the reader in and compels them to explore further.

Emily Dickinson's poetry is a testament to her genius and a source of inspiration for generations of readers. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the power of words and the mysteries of the human soul.

Update: I am finally done (after a year of rather inconsistent reading). Now I simply have to commence memorizing...

The outcome of reading the entire Emily is merely a greater sense of curiosity. Now I desire to view the poems as she arranged them, in their packets. The chronological arrangement hints at a biographical revelation that ultimately appears beside the point...

I would rather just regard her inner world as an end in itself. On the other hand, I have also begun an edition of her letters. --She is captivating. I am now pondering how to present her work to students so that they can perceive more than the sometimes-obvious surface.

Update: I have now reached the older ED. At this stage, she is drier, less intense. Two-word abstractions fill entire lines. You obtain the impression of a life lived among a scarcity of objects, in which each object gradually assumes nearly allegorical significance.

I am also of the opinion that ED is a fantasist. She composes something that she wishes to read in order to fuel a certain fantasy of hers--a fantasy of unique suffering, of deferred reward. It is not a fantasy that appeals to me (putting anything off is a poor gamble). But that does not imply that I think it results in bad poetry.

I feel somewhat foolish for not having read this earlier (and I still have not overcome reading Plath so late)--but, on the other hand, I believe Dickinson could have been a powerfully negative influence if I had read her earlier (Plath too). As it stands, I have her rhythms (quietly didactic, like a girl teaching mice) pounding through my head whenever I set the book aside...

--

I loathe to add this, because I know I will be reading it for, oh, the next six months, and then for the ten years after that, but I need to affirm that I am still intellectually active, despite being submerged in freshman composition. Anyway--reading the complete works is quite distinct from reading poems here and there. You gain a greater sense of her world--which oscillates between having a scarcity of objects and being (she protests) abundantly rich enough. You also witness her conflation of various male figures (God, a lover) into some many-faced male Outside. In general, the poetry simply seems deeper. So I must highly recommend reading the complete ED over any selection.

4 stars

After delving deep into most of these poems, Emily Dickinson still firmly holds her place as one of my absolute favorite poets. Her works have this unique charm and depth that never fails to captivate me. However, as I was reading through the collection, I also happened to come across quite a number of poems that I simply couldn't seem to establish any sort of connection with. To be honest, they made no sense to me at all. It was a bit of a letdown in that regard. So, with this in mind, much as I would have loved to, I unfortunately couldn't award this collection a full 5 stars. Nevertheless, it was still a great experience overall. The majority of the poems were truly remarkable and a joy to read.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a passionate fan of poetry and/or has a special affinity for the works of Emily Dickinson. It's definitely a must-read for those who appreciate the beauty and complexity of the written word.

The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, edited by Thomas H. Johnson, is the definitive text that should not be substituted.

Emily Dickinson, often misunderstood and poorly served by her editors and publishers, is a rare bird among major American poets. She avoided the spotlight, staying in her home in Amherst, MA, with her family and refusing to迎合 popular tastes. She never published during her lifetime and only made a few attempts with editors who were too stodgy and conventional to appreciate her originality.

Yet, upon her death, she left a dresser drawer full of thousands of poems, variant versions, snippets, and notes. It took a Herculean effort to sort and assemble these handwritten manuscripts into the works she considered "poetry" and file the rest as "jottings, random thoughts, random expostulations."

Unfortunately, most of what is passed off as her "poetry" online and in stores is still butchered and only amounts to sanitized, "regularized" versions of her actual work. The unsuspecting reader may not be aware of this unless they have studied Dickinson under a knowledgeable instructor or at the university level.

If you want to read and understand her work, this edition of her poems must be the basis for your appreciation and judgment. All of her other so-called "editors" changed her meter, spellings, and capitalizations, which were deliberate departures from the norm for poetic effect.

I also highly recommend Richard B. Sewell's biography, The Life of Emily Dickinson. It is immensely readable, even compelling, and full of telling details that place the poet within the context of her times and New England heritage. It gives a deeper appreciation of what she overcame to pursue her art and illuminates aspects of the poems that are otherwise hidden to the modern reader.

As an individual and a poet, Dickinson will always remain elusive. She believed in the mystery at the heart of life and considered her own life a mystery. She tried to approach the essence and experience of the luminous "mysterium tremendum et fascinans" through metaphor and lyric.

Her letters are also a treat and a treasure. She was a devoted, loyal friend and a tireless, witty letter writer. Her epistolary style reflects her poetic penchants and inclinations, being highly metaphorical, striking, and surprising. In some ways, the letters are even more revealing of how she interacted with those she loved and of the qualities of her character.

Certainly, Dickinson was one of a kind, far more sophisticated and worldly than most people think today. She was shrewd, widely read, and a critical, insightful reader and observer of life's conundrums and vagaries, as well as current events.

No other poet has produced lasting verse in her singular aphoristic and numinous style. Dickinson's uniqueness, inimitability, is the hallmark of only the greatest poets. By that measure, it is safe to say she will be read and appreciated for a long time to come.

Margaret Langstaff, April 2012