Emily Dickinson- Tweener

Emily Dickinson used many characteristics in her writing that could classify as either Realism or Modernism work. She broke traditions with her writing, shocking outsiders with her modernism technique. She also wrote descriptive poetry about her surroundings, a common characteristic of Realism writing. Categorizing the work of Emily Dickinson into just one literary time period is not an easy task. “Her voice and verbal artistry are unique, and her themes are both ageless and universal,” said one literary criticism (Cornelius).

Emily Dickinson will forever be remembered for the years she spent isolated in her bedroom. The criticism explains, “Despite Dickinson's ever-growing literary popularity, many details of her life remain a mystery” (Cornelius). The isolation showed through her work. She was not bothered by society or worldly issues in her bedroom, so her literature rarely discusses political or social events. Instead, the major themes in her poems were simple ideas and nature. Looking out of the window in her bedroom proved to be inspiration for many of her nature pieces. She was able to use the images that she saw to describe in her work. “As with any individual, the time, the place, and even the atmosphere surrounding Emily Dickinson all influenced the ways she thought and acted and developed her natural talent,” writes the criticism (Cornelius). One effective talent that Dickinson had was the ability to truly understand humans. In one of Emily Dickinson’s most popular poems, “I’m Nobody! Who Are You?”, she shows her understanding of humanity. She bonds with the reader over their similarity of being a ‘nobody’. She says, “Don't tell! They'd advertise – you know! How dreary—to be—Somebody!” (Dickinson). Her ability to describe a person through emotions and feelings not only relate to the reader but also make her a great Realism author.

Dickinson came from a religious family. She had a strong Puritan background, but she often did not attend church. Although she didn’t praise God on a Sunday morning, she refers to a higher power in several of her poems. She also mentions the spiritual journey that she is on. One criticism comments, “As was the Puritan custom, Dickinson continually examined her inner life, engaging in a kind of dialogue with herself that forms the basis of some of her finest poetry” (Cornelius). The inner spirit, also considered a self reflection, was highly recognized in the works of the Modernism period. By not attending church, Emily Dickinson was breaking the rules of her society. A modernism writer was known for breaking tradition and finding new ways to interact with the world. 

Along with their own writing style, many poets often had their own punctuation style. As Walt Whitman would use capitalization for emphasis in his poetry, Emily Dickinson uses improper grammar in her work. The reasoning behind the technique is unknown considering Dickinson received a proper education and knew better. One can only assume that the misleading punctuation was to create a rhythm that Dickinson wanted in her poems. In some cases, readers became confused by her style and opted to not read her poetry.

Cornelius, Kay. "Dickinson, Emily." In Harold Bloom, ed. Emily Dickinson, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2002. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Dickinson, Emily. "I'm Nobody! Who Are You?" Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More. Web. 04 Apr. 2012.