A Poet for All

 Although Emily Dickinson was considered a recluse, she says she found ecstasy in living and felt likeshe was “struck by lightning” every day. Nature was her church, and it filled her poetry with rich images.  Although she lived during the period of the Civil War and slavery, these events never entered her poetry. 

Actually, most of her poetry was sent to friends and was published only after her death. Her relatives found poems written on scraps of paper all around her house. Her poems are very uncomplicated and direct, very poignant and stirring. Although she was not a church-goer, many of her poems have a spiritual or ethereal air to them.

Many  people relate to her simple poems like “I’m nobody/Who are you?/ Are you Nobody too?” Her acceptance of being unknown and ordinary resonates with ordinary people. One of my favorites is ”Hope is the Thing with Feathers.” It speaks of a bird singing all through the night, perched on a limb. It conveys a message of endurance and trust.

When I am looking for words of wisdom and encouragement, I read her poetry.  Her poems are often like prayers. They revive my soul and make me appreciate nature and the ordinary things of life. Dickinson is never flashy or exotic. Even those who do not like poetry will find wisdom and understanding in her reflective poetry.