Discuss some of the themes that appear in Emily Dickinson's poetry.

Why do you think Emily Dickinson did not seek publication more actively?

Discuss some of the criticisms of Dickinson's poetry made by Thomas Wentworth Higginson. How did Dickinson's respond, and what does her response reveal about her attitude toward her work?

Susan Gilbert Dickinson was torn about publishing Dickinson's poems, feeling that someone so shy in life would not have liked her poems put on display. Yet in her private notes, Emily Dickinson was extremely ambitious and sought fame. If you were Emily Dickinson's literary executor, would you have pushed to publish her poetry? Why or why not?

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