Emily Dickinson, born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts, is one of the most celebrated poets in American literature. She was the second child of Edward Dickinson, a prominent lawyer and politician, and Emily Norcross Dickinson. Growing up in a well-to-do family, Emily had access to education and resources that encouraged her intellectual pursuits. She attended the Amherst Academy and briefly enrolled at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, although her formal education was cut short.

Dickinson spent most of her life in her family home in Amherst, where she became increasingly reclusive. This withdrawal from society allowed her to cultivate her unique voice as a poet. Despite her isolation, she maintained correspondence with several contemporaries, including the famous poet Thomas Wentworth Higginson, who recognized her talent and offered critique and encouragement. Dickinson's literary career was marked by her unconventional style, characterized by short lines, slant rhyme, and innovative punctuation, often reflecting themes of nature, death, and immortality.

Though she wrote nearly 1,800 poems, only a handful were published during her lifetime, and those were often edited to fit conventional norms. It wasn't until after her death on May 15, 1886, that her complete works were published, revealing her profound impact on modern poetry. Notable works include “Because I could not stop for Death,” “Hope is the thing with feathers,” and “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died.”

Emily Dickinson's personal life was marked by close relationships with friends and family, yet she remained enigmatic and private. Her poetry, filled with introspection and deep emotion, continues to resonate with readers, establishing her as a pivotal figure in American literature and a precursor to modernist poetry.