The Oxford Handbook of Emily Dickinson

The Oxford Handbook of Emily Dickinson is a comprehensive collection that explores Emily Dickinson's life, poetry, and cultural context, engaging students and scholars of nineteenth-century US literature, American poetry, and the lyric. It emphasizes the material and social culture of her time, balancing her own center of gravity with critical conversations of our present, and offers innovative critical methodologies. The book celebrates Dickinson's accomplishments and relevance, highlighting the breadth of her thought and language.

Format: Hardback
Length: 656 pages
Publication date: 14 April 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The Oxford Handbook of Emily Dickinson is a comprehensive and engaging resource for students and scholars of Emily Dickinson, nineteenth-century US literature, cultural studies, American poetry, and the lyric. It aims to captivate, inform, interest, and delight those who explore the life and works of this renowned poet. This handbook also sets forth potential agendas for future research in the field of Dickinson studies, marking a significant contribution to the understanding and interpretation of her poetry.

The volume stands out as the first collection to place significant emphasis on the material and social culture of Emily Dickinson's time, while simultaneously offering fresh avenues for interpretive exploration. It strives to strike a balance between Dickinson's central position within the historical context of nineteenth-century Amherst and the importance of engaging with critical conversations that resonate with our present. By understanding her poetry within the broadest latitude of "Home," as expressed in her poem "Forever," this handbook seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of her work.

Within its pages, debates about various aspects of Dickinson's poetry, including the lyric, manuscript practices, translation across languages and cultures, and the politics of class, gender, place, and race, take center stage. These debates not only hold relevance to our contemporary moment but also shed light on our understanding of Dickinson's poetic legacy. The chapters in the handbook feature original and innovative research, employing a wide range of critical methodologies, including artistic responses to Dickinson's poetry by musicians, visual artists, and other poets.

What sets this collection apart is its commitment to foreground truly new original research while embracing a diverse array of critical methodologies. The authors employ a range of approaches, including close textual analysis, cultural studies, historical contextualization, and interdisciplinary perspectives, to unravel the complexities of Dickinson's poetry. This approach fosters a deeper understanding of her works and allows for a multi-faceted exploration of her artistic achievements and their relevance to modern audiences.

The suppleness and daring of Emily Dickinson's thought and language continue to inspire new possibilities and meanings, even as they are grounded in contexts from over 150 years ago. This handbook celebrates the breadth of Dickinson's accomplishments and relevance by expressing and exploring the enduring impact of her poetry. It serves as a valuable resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in delving into the rich tapestry of Emily Dickinson's life and works.

Weight: 1298g
Dimension: 181 x 254 x 46 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198833932