Emily Dickinson's life has always fascinated people, even before she was famous for her poetry. She was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, a small farming village, on December 10, 1830, to Edward and Emily Norcross Dickinson. Edward Dickinson was a well-respected lawyer and politician, descended from a prominent Amherst family; his father was a founder of Amherst College, where Edward was treasurer. Emily was very active socially, and was considered wellliked and attractive. In her late twenties, though, she suddenly cut herself all from all society, never leaving her family's home, and started ferociously writing poetry. Although there is a longstanding myth that the catalyst for this was her falling in love with a man who rejected her, it is more likely that it was a combination of several factors. She wrote prolifically, writing almost 1800 poems in her lifetime, but her genius was never recognized in her lifetime. She published only seven poems while alive, all anonymously, and all heavily edited. Only after her death from kidney disease in 1886 did her sister find her poems. Recognizing their genius, she convinced her brother's mistress, Mabel Loomis Todd, to help her publish them. The first book was published in 1890, and met with great success
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