An integrated approach to the study of Emily Dickinson’s creativity

Abstract

© 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, London.The main purpose of this article is to reveal the correlation of Emily Dickinson letters and poems on thematic, ideological, artistic, and tonal levels. Specific spelling and punctuation brings her poetry and epistolary together. Abundance of dashes replacing other punctuation and spelling nouns with capital letters are among some peculiar features attributed to her creation. The poems in her letters are often presented in the form of prose; thus, the boundaries between prose and poetry disappear. Letters can be regarded as a kind of commentary on literary texts. The study of the epistolary material helps to comprehend peculiarities of the creative process and the artistic structure of letters. The authors consider Emily Dickinson’s creativity as the representation of a holistic art world and one letter. The internal unity of her poems and letters is determined by the unity of her personality, destiny, and worldview.