The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson edited by Thomas H. Johnson

Five Stars

It takes a significant amount of time--no matter how succinct--to read 1775 poems. Take this comment as the truth that I am still reading The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. I am not in a rush, but I am on a distinct course of action to finish my read during this stay-at-home order (and beyond as needed). It seems appropriate to read a poet who in many senses ordered herself to stay at home. Yet, as one who self-appointed social distancing during the highly-expected "visiting" of the Victorian-age, Dickinson reflects many practices witnessed today with her minimalism, her experimentalism, and her individualism. I am not an expert on Dickinson nor to I adhere to all her practices in life and in poetry. (I find that domestic pursuits of routine cleaning reset my creative muse. I hold firm to my faith. I doubt I will ever be a gardener even if I do appreciate nature and love daisies.) But, I do feel she is an essential poet and a timeless one. To devote oneself to writing on a consistent basis as to accumulate a tome of poems is beyond commendable. To entertain the notion of publication yet to understand it for its objectionable objective and to, instead, share poems with family and friends through correspondence as a means of forming connection and promoting communication is unmistakably admirable.

Biographical information about Emily Dickinson and links to her most famous poems can be found here.