Poems by Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson has been one of my favorite poets since high school, and over the years I'vecarried a few of her opening lines with me. This collection links at the end to the first lines, whichare the easiest titles for me to remember. A few favorites are:Because I Could Not Stop For DeathI Heard A Fly Buzz When I DiedI Never Saw A MoorI Taste A Liquor Never BrewedI'm Nobody? Who Are You?Much Madness Is Divinest SenseSome Keep the Sabbath Going to ChurchSuccess Is Counted SweetestTo Lose One's Faith SurpassesIn this collection of three books, each time that I encountered one that I already knewit was like visiting a friend. There also were poems that were new to me, and I'd liketo give some samples.p. 5 If I can stop one heart from breaking,I shall not live in vain;If I can ease one life the aching,Or cool one pain,Or help one fainting robinUnto his nest again,I shall not live in vain.p. 58 I shall know why, when time is over,And I have ceased to wonder why;Christ will explain each separate anguishIn the fair schoolroom of the sky.He will tell me what Peter promised,And I, for wonder at his woe,I shall forget the drop of anguishThat scalds me now, that scalds me now.On page 60, the introduction to book 2, Mary Loomis Todd comments."Emily Dickinson scrutinized everything with clear-eyed frankness. Every subject was properground for legitimate study, even the sombre facts of death and burial, and the unknown lifebeyond. She touches these themes sometimes lightly, sometimes almost humorously, moreoften with weird and peculiar power; but she is never by any chance frivolous or trivial. And while,as one critic has said, she may exhibit toward God 'an Emersonian self-possession', it was becauseshe looked upon all life with a candor as unprejudiced as it is rare.She had tried society and the world, and found them lacking. She was not an invalid, and she livedin seclusion from no love-disappointment. Her life was the normal blossoming of a nature introspectiveto a high degree, whose best thought could not exist in pretence.Storm, wind, the wild March sky, sunsets and dawns, the birds and bees, butterflies and flowers of hergarden, with a few trusted human friends, were sufficient companionship. The coming of the first robinwas a jubilee beyond crowning of monarch or birthday of pope; the first red leaf hurrying through 'thealtered air', an epoch. Immortality was close about her; and while never morbid or melancholy, she livedin its presence". Amherst, Massachusetts, August, 1891.I really identified with the experience of being a recluse. As an adult who has been very extrovertedat times and then withdrawn from society for years at a time, the connection with this great soul is allthe deeper.

I think I’m good on this one. I got about halfway through, so not all of her poems, but I’m comfortable with what I was able to absorb. I was impressed with her ability to make her writing so dense. If there was ever a definition of “wordsmith”, Dickinson would definitely fall into that category. She is worthy of all the praise she’s received, and then some. If I were more of a poetry man, I would have devoured this entire thing.

This third series of the three free amazon books on Emily Dickinson poems contains the first and second series as well as an index of first lines. One can use the kindle to move to any of these four places. See my review of the first and second series where I point out that the poems were written by Emily is an unusual way – using hyphens instead of commas and periods and having capital letters for words she apparently thought were important, and there being different versions of the poems. In addition many of the poems were flashes of insights that were never corrected. After her death, the poems were edited by her friends. Some people may find some of her poems obscure, although they sound nice, such as:Heaven is what I cannot reach!The apple on the tree,Provided it do hopeless hang,That ‘heaven’ is , to me.

normally poetry is very difficult for menot so with emily's writingeach is short, and clearly conveys the idealots of long interesting wordsinteresting contrast of sweet nature poetry and gothic death poetry

Unfortunately this volume includes the poem titles assigned by ED's editors, not by ED herself. I had a complete collection without the poem titles but it was stolen by an ex-gf. My point is, better editions exist.Poem titles needed to be covered with correction tape.

Here I am, sitting in my backyard as the last glimmers of the pale blue sky can be seen just before dark. Somehow, after spending time with Emily Dickinson's poetry the changing of the guard from day to night seems so gentle, and kind and welcoming. Here is something and someone who makes me proud to be an American.

Excellent collection of the brilliant poet's work. A recent visit and tour of her home sparked my desire to purchase a collection. Very good volume.

I bought this as a gift after looking at other books of Emily's poems and reading reviews. This one seemed to be the best book, without over editing her poems.

This is not the standard edition with Dickinson's original dashes and lack of punctuation, but a "cleaned-up" Victorian-style version with way too many exclamation marks. And it is by no means complete despite its claim to be so.

Some of Emily Dickinson's poetry is wonderful, but I wouldn't recommend this Kindle edition, because it's not well-formatted for e-readers. The poems are written one after another, meaning they start halfway down a page and end halfway down the next one... it's just not ideal. I recommend either finding another version, or getting a paper copy.

A very formidable body of work, some excellent poems and interesting thoughts. Definitely a must for anyone who reads poetry.

Good

Since I had to study a few of these poems for A-Level it left me with a fascination and love of Emily Dickensons poetry and this is an amazing, must have collection. Her switch from morbid to euphoric moods examining the beauty and fears of both life and death together with the exestentialism is just mind blowing. As a free version there are no risks to you in downloading just to try, I'd say just do it!!