Reviews for Essential Dickinson

The average rating for Essential Dickinson based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-01-24 00:00:00 Clifford Bassett I'll be honest: I'm an English major that struggles to understand and read Dickinson's poetry. I did master's degree-level work in poetry! I should be smart enough to understand her! I struggle to admit my feelings of inadequacy in front of the world! This little book helped me begin to know Emily Dickinson, and like her. It's less intimidating than a complete version of her works'all of which look like bricks. It includes her greatest hits (the ones even I can quote accurately) along with ones that I'd never heard before. Reading it, I realized one of my roadblocks to understanding and liking Emily is her comfort level with her own suffering--and with melancholy in general. It feels positively un-American. Yet it's this familiarity with lament that has grown and deepened my faith and my humanity. Dickinson's dry wit sometimes leaves me cold--especially when she's talking about despair--but the longer I sat with her poems, the more I allowed her to "[take off] the top of my head", the more I liked her. Also: it helps (a lot!) to use a dictionary. I want to know Dickinson better. This edition helped me feel more comfortable with this brilliant poet.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-01-04 00:00:00 Melissa Tillotson Had I not seen the Sun, I could have borne the shade.