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New Poems of Emily Dickinson
For most of her life Emily Dickinson regularly embedded poems, disguised as prose, in her lively and thoughtful letters. Although many critics have commented on the poetic quality of Dickinson's letters, William Shurr is the first to draw fully developed poems from them. In this remarkable volume, he presents nearly 500 new poems that he and his associates excavated from her correspondence, thereby expanding the canon of Dickinson's known poems by almost one-third and making a remarkable addition to the study of American literature.
Here are new riddles and epigrams, as well as longer lyrics that have never been seen as poems before. While Shurr has reformatted passages from the letters as poetry, a practice Dickinson herself occasionally followed, no words, punctuation, or spellings have been changed. Shurr points out that these new verses have much in common with Dickinson's well-known poems: they have her typical punctuation (especially the characteristic dashes and capitalizations); they use her preferred hymn or ballad meters; and they continue her search for new and unusual rhymes. Most of all, these poems continue Dickinson's remarkable experiments in extending the boundaries of poetry and human sensibility.
136 pages, Library Binding
First published September 24, 1993
About the author
Emily Dickinson
1,329 books7,044 followersEmily Dickinson was an American poet who, despite the fact that less than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime, is widely considered one of the most original and influential poets of the 19th century.
Dickinson was born to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. After she studied at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she spent a short time at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's house in Amherst. Thought of as an eccentric by the locals, she became known for her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even leave her room. Most of her friendships were therefore carried out by correspondence.
Although Dickinson was a prolific private poet, fewer than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime.The work that was published during her lifetime was usually altered significantly by the publishers to fit the conventional poetic rules of the time. Dickinson's poems are unique for the era in which she wrote; they contain short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation.Many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality, two recurring topics in letters to her friends.
Although most of her acquaintances were probably aware of Dickinson's writing, it was not until after her death in 1886—when Lavinia, Emily's younger sister, discovered her cache of poems—that the breadth of Dickinson's work became apparent. Her first collection of poetry was published in 1890 by personal acquaintances Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd, both of whom heavily edited the content.
A complete and mostly unaltered collection of her poetry became available for the first time in 1955 when The Poems of Emily Dickinson was published by scholar Thomas H. Johnson. Despite unfavorable reviews and skepticism of her literary prowess during the late 19th and early 20th century, critics now consider Dickinson to be a major American poet.
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/emily-di...
Dickinson was born to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. After she studied at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she spent a short time at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's house in Amherst. Thought of as an eccentric by the locals, she became known for her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even leave her room. Most of her friendships were therefore carried out by correspondence.
Although Dickinson was a prolific private poet, fewer than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime.The work that was published during her lifetime was usually altered significantly by the publishers to fit the conventional poetic rules of the time. Dickinson's poems are unique for the era in which she wrote; they contain short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation.Many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality, two recurring topics in letters to her friends.
Although most of her acquaintances were probably aware of Dickinson's writing, it was not until after her death in 1886—when Lavinia, Emily's younger sister, discovered her cache of poems—that the breadth of Dickinson's work became apparent. Her first collection of poetry was published in 1890 by personal acquaintances Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd, both of whom heavily edited the content.
A complete and mostly unaltered collection of her poetry became available for the first time in 1955 when The Poems of Emily Dickinson was published by scholar Thomas H. Johnson. Despite unfavorable reviews and skepticism of her literary prowess during the late 19th and early 20th century, critics now consider Dickinson to be a major American poet.
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/emily-di...
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
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May 11, 2012New Poems of Emily Dickinson -- a bold title! -- by William H. Shurr, with Anna Dunlap and Emily Grey Shurr, offers hundreds of new poems found within Emily's correspondence. Many of them are "fourteeners": a line of iambic tetrameter followed by a line of iambic trimeter. New Poems was published in 1993, and I recently spent a year obsessively reading it.
Emily Dickinson has a matchless, branching mind. Questions about her mostly return unanswered. Her secretive life repels investigative prying. In a sense, this entire book is an unanswered question: "Did Emily secrete poems within her letters, disguised as ordinary lines?" I find the book generally unconvincing, but never wrong.
We must be less than Death,
to be lessened by it --
for nothing is irrevocable
but ourselves.
That's the piece Shurr calls "poem number 266." But is it exactly a poem? I would say no. But neither is it a non-poem. Just as Leonardo da Vinci's sketches are more engaging than his paintings, because they show his tumultuous, exacting thoughts, Emily's fugitive lines are more intimate than her poems:
To be certain we were to meet our Lost,
would be a Vista of reunion,
who of us could bear?
That's 317. (Aren't those commas electrifying?)
Though she lived in increasing isolation, she sounds like a ceaseless traveler:
I trust you may have the dearest summer
possible to Loss --
One sweet sweet more -- One liquid more --
of that Arabian presence!
(Number 288.) Emily is one of the great American inventors, like Thomas Edison and B. F. Goodrich. She is not so much writing poems as reimagining poetry's future.
Would success have wrecked Emily? Possibly. If she'd had an audience, she might have diluted her brave metaphysical wit for the shopowners and dentists who read her. Instead, she had the recklessness of the finest rappers:
Ya know, some of these niggaz is so deceptive,
Usin my styles like a contraceptive.
I hope ya get burnt, it seems ya haven't learnt:
It's the nick nack patty wack, I still got the bigger sack;
So put your gun away, run away, cuz I'm back.
Hit 'em up, get 'em up, spit 'em up, now
Tell me what's goin' on...
Could I visit the Beds
of my own who sleep,
as reprovelessly,
even Night were sweet --
That's "Doggy Dog World" by Snoop Doggy Dogg, followed by (the last four lines) number 417.
Emily Dickinson has a matchless, branching mind. Questions about her mostly return unanswered. Her secretive life repels investigative prying. In a sense, this entire book is an unanswered question: "Did Emily secrete poems within her letters, disguised as ordinary lines?" I find the book generally unconvincing, but never wrong.
We must be less than Death,
to be lessened by it --
for nothing is irrevocable
but ourselves.
That's the piece Shurr calls "poem number 266." But is it exactly a poem? I would say no. But neither is it a non-poem. Just as Leonardo da Vinci's sketches are more engaging than his paintings, because they show his tumultuous, exacting thoughts, Emily's fugitive lines are more intimate than her poems:
To be certain we were to meet our Lost,
would be a Vista of reunion,
who of us could bear?
That's 317. (Aren't those commas electrifying?)
Though she lived in increasing isolation, she sounds like a ceaseless traveler:
I trust you may have the dearest summer
possible to Loss --
One sweet sweet more -- One liquid more --
of that Arabian presence!
(Number 288.) Emily is one of the great American inventors, like Thomas Edison and B. F. Goodrich. She is not so much writing poems as reimagining poetry's future.
Would success have wrecked Emily? Possibly. If she'd had an audience, she might have diluted her brave metaphysical wit for the shopowners and dentists who read her. Instead, she had the recklessness of the finest rappers:
Ya know, some of these niggaz is so deceptive,
Usin my styles like a contraceptive.
I hope ya get burnt, it seems ya haven't learnt:
It's the nick nack patty wack, I still got the bigger sack;
So put your gun away, run away, cuz I'm back.
Hit 'em up, get 'em up, spit 'em up, now
Tell me what's goin' on...
Could I visit the Beds
of my own who sleep,
as reprovelessly,
even Night were sweet --
That's "Doggy Dog World" by Snoop Doggy Dogg, followed by (the last four lines) number 417.
June 16, 2021
Este no es el poemario que leí, es otro de Emily dickinson que tiene traducción en ingles-español, como no encontré ese libro en goodreads busque uno que tenía la misma cantidad de páginas y era de Emily dickinson.
Como sea voy a decir que me pareció de el libro "Emily Dickinson poemas" de la editorial "visor poesias"
La traducción me pareció bastante mala en algunos poemas, y eso que tengo un ingles muy básico y en los poemas de E.D tiene un vocabulario muy complejo en ingles.
La puntuación y distribución de las estrofas me parecieron malas en algunos poemas en español. El libro salio muy caro para lo que es pero ahora voy a hablar de los poemas puntualmente.
Conocí a Emily dickinson por su serie 'Dickinson' y ame la serie, a Emily y a sus poemas. Sus poemas son tan diferentes, raramente hay rimas, yo amo las rimas pero me decepciono un poco de que no haya.
Las comparaciones y como ella romantiza absolutamente toda su vida, el dramatismo que hay en los poemas es HERMOSO.
Sus poemas me hacen sentir miles de cosas y los mejores poemas son los que hablan sobre la muerte. Algunos poemas me costaron entenderlos porque son muy subjetivos o filosóficos con palabras que no conocía.
Pero los poemas son fascinantes como dije, como relaciona sus sentimientos y lo que piensa del mundo con elementos de la naturaleza. Puede relacionar la muerte con una mosca y el amor con una perla en el fondo del mar.
Ella y sos poemas me inspiran y me hacen querer romantizar mí vida, disfrutar cada partícula de aire que respiro.
No se si la historia sobre su romance con su cuñada "Susan" fue real, pero muchos poemas los relacione con esa relación que pudo haber tenido.
Esa mujer era avanzada para su época, una feminista en su máximo explendor, una mujer llena de imaginación, inteligente y hermosa escritora. Me da rabia pensar que nunca se publicaron sus poemas mientras estaba viva, porque sus poemas los escribió entre 1855-1870 (son años aproximados, no me culpen si no es tan así), en esa época, como sabemos, las mujeres no podían publicar sus historias o poemas o lo que sea porque eran vistas como objetos y no solían trabajar, menos como escritoras.
La mujer que escribió estos poemas, es una mujer fuerte que admiro y con la información que se tiene de ella y sus poemas puedo hasta sentir que la conozco.
Como sea voy a decir que me pareció de el libro "Emily Dickinson poemas" de la editorial "visor poesias"
La traducción me pareció bastante mala en algunos poemas, y eso que tengo un ingles muy básico y en los poemas de E.D tiene un vocabulario muy complejo en ingles.
La puntuación y distribución de las estrofas me parecieron malas en algunos poemas en español. El libro salio muy caro para lo que es pero ahora voy a hablar de los poemas puntualmente.
Conocí a Emily dickinson por su serie 'Dickinson' y ame la serie, a Emily y a sus poemas. Sus poemas son tan diferentes, raramente hay rimas, yo amo las rimas pero me decepciono un poco de que no haya.
Las comparaciones y como ella romantiza absolutamente toda su vida, el dramatismo que hay en los poemas es HERMOSO.
Sus poemas me hacen sentir miles de cosas y los mejores poemas son los que hablan sobre la muerte. Algunos poemas me costaron entenderlos porque son muy subjetivos o filosóficos con palabras que no conocía.
Pero los poemas son fascinantes como dije, como relaciona sus sentimientos y lo que piensa del mundo con elementos de la naturaleza. Puede relacionar la muerte con una mosca y el amor con una perla en el fondo del mar.
Ella y sos poemas me inspiran y me hacen querer romantizar mí vida, disfrutar cada partícula de aire que respiro.
No se si la historia sobre su romance con su cuñada "Susan" fue real, pero muchos poemas los relacione con esa relación que pudo haber tenido.
Esa mujer era avanzada para su época, una feminista en su máximo explendor, una mujer llena de imaginación, inteligente y hermosa escritora. Me da rabia pensar que nunca se publicaron sus poemas mientras estaba viva, porque sus poemas los escribió entre 1855-1870 (son años aproximados, no me culpen si no es tan así), en esa época, como sabemos, las mujeres no podían publicar sus historias o poemas o lo que sea porque eran vistas como objetos y no solían trabajar, menos como escritoras.
La mujer que escribió estos poemas, es una mujer fuerte que admiro y con la información que se tiene de ella y sus poemas puedo hasta sentir que la conozco.
October 16, 2016
This is not a comment on Emily Dickinson's poetry but on the entitled editing of the volume. There were some interest insights, but overall I disliked the tone and the work done. I'm just not sure I can get on board with this revision of material the author didn't even meant to present as such. I am aware there is a case to be made in favor of it, but I do not think I particularly enjoy it.
August 31, 2024
p.34 "Nothing in her Life became her/ like its last event" (882).
p.38 "You asked me if I wrote now?/ I have no other playmate -" (513).
p.52 "Do not try to be saved -/ but let Redemption find you -/ as it certainly will -."
p.66 "The quicker deceit dies,/ the better for the truth."
p.38 "You asked me if I wrote now?/ I have no other playmate -" (513).
p.52 "Do not try to be saved -/ but let Redemption find you -/ as it certainly will -."
p.66 "The quicker deceit dies,/ the better for the truth."
October 20, 2024
I found some of these poems really beautiful, however I don’t know how much I agree that every single excerpt from Dickinson’s letters that the author(s) included actually are poems. I think her writing is poetic in nature but I think that makes it a bit different from being a poem. Regardless, this book was still very interesting.
October 31, 2019
People (like me) who know nothing about Emily Dickinson's poetry, or poetry in general, will find this book reads like a textbook explaining just that.
Fantastic collection of writings that were previously not identified as poetry or prose.
Fantastic collection of writings that were previously not identified as poetry or prose.
March 29, 2022
very interesting, it was like an analysis of different styles of poetry Emily wrote and were not included in The Complete Poems, and how most of them were put into letters by herself or how some writings from some letters can be considered poetry as well<333
June 22, 2024
"New Poems of Emily Dickinson" is a captivating collection showcasing the poet's lesser-known works. The paperback edition reveals Dickinson's profound connection with nature, love, and mortality. Each poem reflects her unique style, characterized by short lines, unconventional punctuation, and deep imagery. This collection offers readers an intimate glimpse into Dickinson's contemplative world, where ordinary moments are imbued with extraordinary meaning. Perfect for both longtime fans and newcomers, these poems highlight her innovative approach to poetry. The book is a testament to her enduring influence, making it a valuable addition to any literary collection.
July 8, 2025
Love is its own rescue, for we - at our supremest, are but its trembling Emblems - (522)
Easily the best read of the year so far. Dickinson’s letters contain poems that are “disguised as prose” (Shurr, Editor). It is a unique ability to provide a form of meditation in disguise, to create an ostensible maze of meaning so simply written as to render it complete.
Inspiring, the most accessible writing of what at its time was deemed “avant grade” , has proved to be a wonderful delight, as “absolute as ether”.
I think of my love, my pain, life…and I think I might even begin to understand it all - or at least, desire to connect to it.
Easily the best read of the year so far. Dickinson’s letters contain poems that are “disguised as prose” (Shurr, Editor). It is a unique ability to provide a form of meditation in disguise, to create an ostensible maze of meaning so simply written as to render it complete.
Inspiring, the most accessible writing of what at its time was deemed “avant grade” , has proved to be a wonderful delight, as “absolute as ether”.
I think of my love, my pain, life…and I think I might even begin to understand it all - or at least, desire to connect to it.
March 6, 2023
yo tengo un poema:
si no hay nada que decir
ni nada de que hablar
no hace faaaalta explicarte
que guardas todos los secretos
de mi vida y de mis sueños si los sabeeesss
(ERES LA ÚNICA CANCIÓN QUE SIEMPRE ESCRIBIREEE SINTIENDO MIS LATIDOOOS CADA PALABRA CADA NOTA Q ME DAS ME HACE SENTIR QUE ESTOY CONTIGOOO)
si no hay nada que decir
ni nada de que hablar
no hace faaaalta explicarte
que guardas todos los secretos
de mi vida y de mis sueños si los sabeeesss
(ERES LA ÚNICA CANCIÓN QUE SIEMPRE ESCRIBIREEE SINTIENDO MIS LATIDOOOS CADA PALABRA CADA NOTA Q ME DAS ME HACE SENTIR QUE ESTOY CONTIGOOO)
April 3, 2023
What I really liked about this collection is the detailed explanation of each different type of poetry at the beginning of each chapter. Understanding the type of poetry helped me to enjoy the poems better. This is a short collection and a good introduction to Emily Dickinson's poetry.
July 9, 2020
maybe my experience was hindered by having read this translated but i mean... liked it, that’s all
April 30, 2022
I don't understand the hype of Emily Dickison. No hate at all. I just don't see what is so special about her poems compared to other poems.
August 30, 2023
Despised the format and this particular translation, but I loved the poems.
September 12, 2023
tengo que buscar más contexto
August 7, 2025
I often wonder what Emily woudl think if she knew how popular her poems were today. She didn't create to perform or out of ego. Simply to be and to process and to feel. So much wisdom there
October 1, 2025
“I don’t know what to do with my heart.
I dare not take it,
I dare not leave it-
What do you advise?”
I dare not take it,
I dare not leave it-
What do you advise?”
June 19, 2024
More analysis needed
February 3, 2022
Emily Dickinson will always be the light in my darkness.
It's as simple as that!
It's as simple as that!
December 11, 2015
Emily Dickinson has been a personal favorite of mine since a young age. Her odd habits and obscurity were a source of interest and contemplation to me. I had read many of her poems, but never sat and really studied her works until this book.
I felt that the compilation was very well done. Background information and research was very clear and well done. Some of the "new poems" were a bit odd and I question their being considered a poem, but either way it was a very interesting presentation of the writer.
Many of her poems held deep meaning for me and through hours of study, I found a lot to be loved and admired in her work. It was also interesting to read of the progress she made as a writer through her letter writing.
Overall, it was a very interesting and worthwhile study and I would encourage any lover of poetry to check out the book. It is definitely one that I could see myself reading several times over.
I felt that the compilation was very well done. Background information and research was very clear and well done. Some of the "new poems" were a bit odd and I question their being considered a poem, but either way it was a very interesting presentation of the writer.
Many of her poems held deep meaning for me and through hours of study, I found a lot to be loved and admired in her work. It was also interesting to read of the progress she made as a writer through her letter writing.
Overall, it was a very interesting and worthwhile study and I would encourage any lover of poetry to check out the book. It is definitely one that I could see myself reading several times over.
December 22, 2015
Emily Dickinson's New Poems taught me the power that can be injected into a poem as short as four or five words. Her miraculous talent to pose something incredibly witty or inquisitive and thoughtful so quickly blows me away. This technique can be applied not only to poetry - I'm positive that it would also help in my prose writing to tighten up and rid myself of "showing not telling".
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July 12, 2016Unsure how to evaluate this book, as it's not exactly a scholarly work, not quite lit crit, not quite a collection of poetry....but hey, it's Emily Dickinson!
November 2, 2018
A collection of "new" poems from Emily Dickinson's letters. Academic, but interesting.
January 20, 2012
Dickinson is amazing!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews