Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts. She was born in her home called The Homestead built by her grandfather Samuel Fowler Dickinson in 1813. Samuel Dickinson was one of the founders of Amherst College. Samuel’s eldest son Edward was a treasurer of Amherst College for nearly forty years.
Emily was a bright student and attended Amherst College where she studied such subjects a Latin and English Literature. When she developed a persistent cough, her father decided to take her out of college and bring her back home. So, she left school with no formal qualifications. Because of her shyness, by her late twenties, Emily had become a recluse and just spent time with a small circle of friends and family members.
Emily was troubled at a young age by death. When her young cousin died of typhus she was so distraught that her family sent her to stay with other family members in Boston until she recovered. In the 1850’s her strongest and lasting friendship was with Susan Gilbert who in 1856 married her brother Austin. Emily wrote her over 300 letters during their friendship. Emily died May 15, 1886 at the age of 55 from Bight’s disease, which is caused by kidney degeneration. Her doctor suggested that the accumulation of stress throughout her life contributed to her premature death. After her death, her sister Vinnie ignored her request to have all her manuscripts burnt and in 1893, her first edition of poems was published.
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