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The World in a Frame
Selected poems by Emily Dickinson are accompanied by drawings of the images they inspired in the artist.
112 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1989
About the author
Emily Dickinson
1,333 books7,064 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 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 23, 2025
Nature, life, death, creation, other creatures, books, home and the self. All are fleeting, all are imperfect and all deserve to be seen, hence “the world in a frame”. Emily Dickinson’s poetry feels as such. I read them, tried to understand them and moved on to the next as life moves to the next phase…
“1472
To see the Summer Sky
Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie—
True Poems flee—“
Lastly, Will Barnet was the perfect artist to accompany Dickinson. Simple charcoal drawings and the lack of color really fit the atmosphere the poet wants to convey. I daresay Dickinson is an artist in disguise with her poetry and painted her vision with words while Barnet became a poet in disguise with his strokes… Who is the artist and the poet nevermore disclosed…
“1472
To see the Summer Sky
Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie—
True Poems flee—“
Lastly, Will Barnet was the perfect artist to accompany Dickinson. Simple charcoal drawings and the lack of color really fit the atmosphere the poet wants to convey. I daresay Dickinson is an artist in disguise with her poetry and painted her vision with words while Barnet became a poet in disguise with his strokes… Who is the artist and the poet nevermore disclosed…
December 21, 2010
What a lovely book! Some 46 poems by Dickinson are accompanied by 24 of Will Barnett's charcoal drawings, and preceded by a succinct introductory essay by New York Times Sunday Book Review author Christopher Benfey. There's also a very nice bibliographic paragraph at the end of Benfey's essay that anyone who might wish to know more about Dickinson's life, the era and sociocultural context in which she wrote, can use as a jumping off point. The World in a Frame is a short read, and one that you'll likely return to often. Barnett's drawings are a marvelous complement and homage to Dickinson's words, and I thoroughly enjoyed their accompaniment. And finally, my favorite passage would have to be: "I dwell in Possibility/A fairer House than Prose/More numerous of Windows/Superior for Doors" (from 657, p. 17).
February 5, 2012
“The World in a Frame” is a lovely collection of Emily Dickinson’s poetry and is illustrated by Will Barnet. The art is very simplistic and the drawings are framed, thus the name. I liked the poetry and appreciated the art.
February 25, 2016
This is the first Dickenson I have owned. I read a bit in college, but don't think my frame of mind could appreciate then. I know zero about poetry, but how it makes me feel. I loved the rhythm and the illustrations. I will be seeking more of her work.
February 18, 2011
My partner bought this in a remainder bookshop for £4, and it's simply beautiful. I'm an Emily Dickinson virgin, and after reading the poems here am eager to read more and know more about her.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews